When Google puts privacy at risk
An Illinois judge discovered her home address in Google’s search results, even after the original source had removed it. Ironwall by Incogni stepped in to address the lingering risk, acting swiftly to remove the harmful listing.
Judge reported the address is gone! You guys are amazing!
The threat
- A judge found her home address displayed in Google’s search results.
- The original source had removed the address, but it still appeared in Google’s cached data.
- This lingering information exposed the judge to significant safety risks.
The outcome
- Ironwall immediately contacted Google and requested an expedited removal.
- The cached search result was removed quickly, eliminating the threat.
- The judge’s privacy was restored, and her concerns were addressed in record time.
The threat
- A judge found her home address displayed in Google’s search results.
- The original source had removed the address, but it still appeared in Google’s cached data.
- This lingering information exposed the judge to significant safety risks.
The outcome
- Ironwall immediately contacted Google and requested an expedited removal.
- The cached search result was removed quickly, eliminating the threat.
- The judge’s privacy was restored, and her concerns were addressed in record time.
Your information—just one Google search away
Those seeking to find the home address of or other private information concerning a judge or police officer will likely begin that quest through a search engine. The most popular search engine, Google, processes billions of searches daily, holding 90% of the search engine market.
Getting private content removed from search results can be a difficult process, as one Illinois judge discovered. She searched for herself on Google, and the second listing on the first page showed her home address. That link went to a government site, which Ironwall’s team had already contacted. Following the link, she discovered that the site itself had complied with our removal request, but her address still appeared in the Google link description.
Google’s privacy policy gaps
When this Illinois judge discovered her home address in Google’s results, we didn’t wait for the search engine’s cache to update on its own. We contacted Google immediately and pushed for expedited action.
After Europe adopted GDPR protection for its residents, Google revised its procedures, adding the “Results about you” feature. This allows users to request pages including their home addresses, emails, and phone numbers to be removed from search results.
De-listing your information on Google doesn’t mean removal from those pages, however. So anyone searching for an address on a people-finder site such as Spokeo, for example, will still be able to access it there. The policy also only covers non-public information, which means information like homeownership and DMV records won’t be de-listed.
Why Ironwall doesn’t stop at partial fixes
Our team understands the urgency of cases like the one involving this Illinois judge—every day that sensitive information remains exposed is a day of increased risk. Ironwall automatically registers each client for Google’s removal program and monitors their search results. We don’t stop there, though.
Google often takes several days to update its cache, during which time the dangerous listing may have been revised. However, our team followed up immediately with Google and submitted a request that this information be removed as soon as possible. It was taken down shortly after.
Our privacy team also uses proprietary software to search and remove not just search results, but the underlying information located on websites, including public information not covered by the Google program. When we find content that should be removed, we don’t just send an email to the website and hope for the best—we follow up as often as it takes to get that content taken down, even if that means contacting the Attorney General’s office. One way or another, we always get results.
Please Note: All case studies are described in ways that preserve our clients’ safety and anonymity.
Protect what matters most
Don’t let search engine oversights put you at risk. Trust Ironwall for comprehensive, proactive privacy protection that goes beyond surface-level solutions.