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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to worry that i cannot remove myself from google or wikipedia?

27 replies

NordicPrincess · 08/12/2010 14:00

I have found that I am on google and also on Wikipedia, apparently I cannot remov myself because the information is part of history- is there no way I can fight this or remove the info myself?

Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
NordicPrincess · 08/12/2010 14:12

oh come on someone must be able to help?

OP posts:
Lucyinthepie · 08/12/2010 14:14

I don't know about Wikipedia, but I'm fairly certain you can't remove yourself from Google. It's searching web information about you, not producing it.

allnightlong · 08/12/2010 14:15

Have no idea how to help but I'd hate that such a massive invasion of privacy over peoples imagined 'rights' to know everything.

TandB · 08/12/2010 14:18

You can't remove yourself from Google because ll Google does is produce a list of sites that have you on. You would have to have yourself removed from those sites individually to stop yourself appearing on Google. As long as you are not being misrepresented, or named in breach of a court order for example then I don't really see what you imagine you can do about it.
People are allowed to name other people on the internet just as newspapers are allowed to name people. There is no right to privacy in that sense.

scarletbegonia · 08/12/2010 14:20

Interesting point, we all google people everyday without thinking that there's a real person behind the information.

Is the info on Wiki accurate ? I think you can correct errors.

Original poster
NordicPrincess · 08/12/2010 14:20

i didnt give them permission though?

im not not talking about facebook info

OP posts:
Original poster
NordicPrincess · 08/12/2010 14:21

yes its accurate i just dont want it on there

OP posts:
HalfTermHero · 08/12/2010 14:21

I have no idea either but it must be very tough if you are not happy with being in the public eye (and the info linked to your name is not something that you want in the public domain). If your 'face' is not well known perhaps you could change your name or become known by your middle name so that future employers etc don't find you on internet searches. Not a very helpful suggestion but all I can think of, sorry.

TandB · 08/12/2010 14:22

You don't have to give them permission. Plenty of people are reported on in the news without their permission being given.
If it is misleading or gives inappropriate personal information such as full address, children's schools, things like that, then there are specific remedies, but you can't just say 'I don't want to be mentioned'.

frgr · 08/12/2010 14:22

you should contact the websites directly and ask them to remove information about you, DH had to do this in the past when he was named in something that ended up in the media on a local news paper website (he wasn't involved, he was just a witness but he'd never given certain newspapers permission to use his words that they quoted, he'd actually told a police officer in a private conversation on the street that the reporter must have overheard (!), and they "quoted" him Shock, DH wrote an email and it was removed within 2hrs)

DH says that even if you remove stuff on wikipedia about you then "the History tab will show the content removal anyway so there literally is no way to remove the person's information".

sorry!

Original poster
NordicPrincess · 08/12/2010 14:23

thanks im just worried that some of the things might harm my other halfs job prospects aswell.

OP posts:
Original poster
NordicPrincess · 08/12/2010 14:24

fuck. oh well.

:(

OP posts:
taintedsnow · 08/12/2010 14:24

Are you saying there is a Wikipedia article on you, or that you have made contributions to it as a poster? Tbh, I don't think there's anything you can do, in terms of removing it.

Are you famous or is it just information about yourself you don't want known, generally speaking?

frgr · 08/12/2010 14:24

oh if it's accurate information then i wouldn't think there is any obligation for them to remove it... i'd assumed it was inaccurate info or something you wanted to remove. my bad.

MollieO · 08/12/2010 14:33

I was in the national papers recently (giving evidence at a very public inquest) and my name is all over the place in various articles. Since the inquest is a matter of public record there is nothing I can do about it re Google searches. No idea about Wikipedia though.

MrManager · 08/12/2010 16:00

NordicPrincess if the info is true then you shouldn't be able to remove it. Presumably you are of some public interest (ooh!).

JimmyChooChoo · 08/12/2010 16:29

Nordic-are you famous?I sometimes wonder whether any mns are in the public eye..

wineonafridaynight · 08/12/2010 16:35

If it is stuff that you have posted on forums/social networking you can remove that information from there and eventually the entry will disappear on Twitter.

If you are a public figure and want to remove information, I don't think you have any legal right to ask them to (unless incorrect) but could contact the website in question and ask politely if they would mind. They may oblige I guess...

Good luck!

pottonista · 08/12/2010 16:38

Not sure about wikipedia. As for being on Google, the only thing you can do really is manage your image: create a website about yourself that says what you want it to say, and then make sure it's at the top of the search rankings. Then flood the first page or two with the information you want shared.

I can explain more about how to do this, but it's too boring for AIBU. Grin

Suncottage · 08/12/2010 16:42

I understand totally your concerns - because HR at my company did not employ someone because of what came up on Google about them.

Then again the candidate had lied through her teeth on her CV. I think she will struggle for ever with that one.

I try and keep my head down and only ever use nicknames etc.

frgr · 08/12/2010 16:52

just musing out loud really... but i wonder if anyone is malicious enough to post things as IF they were another person in the hope it gets someone fired? just like pattonista mentioned but for the WRONG reasons?

that's quite a scary thought actually! Confused

poppyknot · 08/12/2010 16:54

I think there are firms that can 'clean' your image for this purpose. THey are probably quite expensive though as I read them in terms of high profile types...

Here is a website about reutation management.....

here

poppyknot · 08/12/2010 16:54

Reputation even

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 08/12/2010 16:55

Anyone can edit Wikipedia - just mark your self for deletion ;)

RockinRobinBird · 08/12/2010 16:56

Can't you edit yourself out of the wikipedia page? I edit them all the time, is simple enough to do.