---
title: "Removing negative content from Google: what is possible and what is not"
url: https://marketingsignals.com/insights/removing-negative-content-from-google
type: Article
date: 2026-11-05
author: "Gareth Hoyle"
---

# Removing Negative Content from Google: What Is Possible and What Is Not

UK routes for removing negative content from Google: publishers, Google's policies, defamation, the right to be forgotten, and when suppression is the only option.

## Key takeaways

- Google can only remove results from Google Search, so the only way to remove the content itself is to have the publisher change or delete it.
- Google's own removal policies cover personal information, doxxing, intimate imagery and sites that charge for removal, and almost never a critical article or review about a company.
- In England and Wales a company must show serious financial loss to bring a defamation claim, and the time limit for bringing one is a year.
- The right to be forgotten is a data protection right for individuals, so it can help a director with results for their name but not the business with results for its name.
- For accurate but unwelcome content, suppression is the only realistic route, and it should start straight away rather than after a removal request fails.

When a critical article, an old news story or a hostile forum thread appears for your company name, the first question is usually whether it can be taken down. Sometimes it can. Far more often it cannot, and the months spent trying delay the work that would actually help.

The answer depends on three things: what the content says, who it is about and where it sits. Google removes some kinds of personal information. The courts can order defamatory statements to be removed. Individuals can ask for some results about them to be delisted. A lawful, accurate but unwelcome article about a company fits none of these. That is why our [online reputation management](https://marketingsignals.com/service/online-reputation-management) work starts from what can realistically be removed and then promotes the positive to push the rest down.

This article sets out each removal route open to UK businesses and their leaders, who can use it and what it achieves, and when suppression is the only realistic option. For the board-level view, see [What do Google and AI say when someone searches our name?](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/what-google-and-ai-say-when-someone-searches-our-name) This is a practical guide, not legal advice. For anything involving defamation or data protection law, speak to a solicitor.

## Start with the publisher, not with Google

Google can only remove things from Google Search. Its [help page on removing personal information](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9673730?hl=en-GB), checked in November 2026, says content it removes may still be on the internet and reachable through links, social media or other search engines. The only way to remove the content itself is for the site owner to change or delete it.

That makes the publisher the first call, and often the most productive one. A specific, polite request usually gets further than a legal letter. Explain what is wrong, provide evidence and suggest a fix: a correction, an update that adds your response, the removal of a personal detail, or taking down an old page that no longer serves a purpose. Publishers are more willing to update an out-of-date article than to delete an accurate one.

How you ask depends on the type of site:

- Newspapers and magazines. If the publisher is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), you can complain under the Editors' Code. Clause 1 requires a [significant inaccuracy to be corrected promptly and with due prominence](https://www.ipso.co.uk/news-analysis/a-question-of-accuracy). IPSO says complaints should normally be made [within four months of publication, or up to 12 months for online articles](https://www.ipso.co.uk/complain), and it passes them to the publication first so it can try to resolve them. Expect the record to be corrected rather than erased.
- Forums, blogs and user posts. Most platforms have their own reporting routes for posts that break their rules. Where a defamatory post is anonymous, the law gives website operators a process to follow when they receive a notice of complaint, covered below.
- Sites you control. Old pages on your own sites, such as a retired microsite or an outdated press release, can be hidden from Google with the Search Console Removals tool. Google says a removal [lasts about six months](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9689846?hl=en). To make it permanent, delete the page so it returns a 404 or 410 status, put it behind a password or add a noindex tag.

Once a publisher has changed or deleted a page, Google may still show the old version for a while. Its [Refresh outdated content tool](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6349986?hl=en-GB) asks Google to update the result, and Google says you do not need to own the website to use it. It only works after the source has changed. It does nothing for content that is still on the page.

## Google's own removal policies

Google will remove some results without a court order when they break its policies. The policies are written around people rather than businesses, and they are narrow. According to [Google's removal troubleshooter](https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/9685456) and the related help pages, they cover:

- Personal information. Contact details, government ID numbers, bank or card numbers, images of signatures or ID documents, private records such as medical records, and confidential usernames and passwords.
- Doxxing. Personal information shown alongside threats or calls for others to harass someone, or a large amount of aggregated personal information with no legitimate purpose.
- Intimate imagery and images of minors. Non-consensual explicit images, sexual deepfakes and some images of under-18s each have their own forms.
- Sites that charge for removal. Google may remove results from sites that demand payment to take content about a person down, though [this policy](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9172218?hl=en) excludes business review sites and covers only content about people.

For contact details, Google's [Results about you](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/12719076?hl=en-GB) tool makes the process easier. You add your name, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses, Google checks regularly for matches and alerts you, and you can request removal from a dashboard. Google says some features are rolling out only in certain markets, so check what your account offers. It also says it generally will not remove results from government, educational or newspaper sites.

None of this covers a negative article or review about a company. Even where a policy applies, Google says it may leave content up if it is newsworthy or of public importance. For a director, these policies can keep a home address or phone number out of results. For the business itself, they rarely apply.

## Legal removals: defamation and court orders

Google also reviews requests to remove content that breaks the law or infringes someone's rights, through its [Legal Help Center](https://support.google.com/legal-help-center/answer/13887279?hl=en). Defamation is the route most businesses think of first, and the bar is higher than many expect.

In England and Wales, [section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/1/2013-04-25?view=plain) says a statement is not defamatory unless its publication has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the claimant's reputation. For a body that trades for profit, harm only counts as serious if it has caused or is likely to cause serious financial loss. Scotland has its own [Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/10/section/1/enacted) with a similar test for profit-making bodies. Time is short too. Under [section 4A of the Limitation Act 1980](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/4A), a libel claim in England and Wales must be brought within one year of the cause of action.

Three legal tools matter in practice:

- Google's defamation process. [Google's guidance](https://support.google.com/legal-help-center/answer/16833565?hl=en) asks for the exact URLs and an explanation of why each statement is false and how it causes harm. It says it cannot test evidence the way a court can, weighs the public interest, defers strongly to government sources, gives weight to the media's own judgement of the public interest and treats reviews of a service by past clients as likely to interest future clients. A court ruling in your favour carries weight. If Google agrees, it restricts the content only in the country where it is found defamatory.
- Court orders. Where a court gives judgment for the claimant in a defamation action, [section 13 of the 2013 Act](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/13/data.html) lets it order the website operator to remove the statement, and order anyone distributing it who was not its author, editor or publisher to stop. A court order is the strongest basis for asking Google to act.
- Website operators. Under [section 5](https://legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/5), a website operator has a defence for statements it did not post. The defence falls away if the claimant cannot identify the poster, sends the operator a notice of complaint and the operator fails to respond as the regulations require. That is the route for anonymous posts, and it starts with a properly drafted notice.

Two cautions. Google says copies of legal notices it receives [may be sent to the Lumen project for publication](https://support.google.com/legal/answer/3110420?hl=en-GB), with the sender's personal contact details redacted, so a removal request can itself become public. And legal action against a publisher can draw more attention to a story than the story had on its own. Take advice from a solicitor who specialises in defamation before sending anything.

## The right to be forgotten is for people, not companies

The right to be forgotten began with a European court ruling in May 2014. [Google's overview](https://support.google.com/legal/answer/10769224?hl=en) says companies and other legal entities generally cannot use it for searches on their corporate name. It is a data protection right for individuals.

For a director or founder, it can help. The [Information Commissioner's Office guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/internet-search-results) says you can ask a search engine to remove a result from searches on your name where it significantly affects your privacy. The search engine must consider the request but does not have to agree. The ICO looks at whether the information is accurate, up to date and relevant, whether it relates to your working life, whether you have a role in public life, whether it involves a criminal offence and how long ago, and whether it was published as journalism.

Results tied to someone's professional life are the hardest to delist. Google says information linked to a public role is less likely to be removed, and that reviews of professional services can remain of legitimate interest to future clients. Where a request succeeds, the result disappears only from searches on the person's name, and the page itself stays online. If a search engine refuses, you can complain to the ICO. The ICO notes its guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act, which became law on 19 June 2025.

## When removal is not possible, and the mistakes to avoid

Put the routes together and the gap is clear. An accurate but critical news article, an unflattering but genuine review, a court report or a fair forum thread about a company will almost never be removed. No Google policy covers it, defamation needs a false statement that causes serious financial loss, and the right to be forgotten does not apply to a business. For that content, suppression is the only route.

Suppression means promoting positive pages until they outrank the negative one. We cover the method in [How to push negative search results down](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/how-to-push-negative-search-results-down). It should run alongside any removal request with a real chance of success, not wait for one to fail.

The mistakes we see most often:

- Waiting for a removal before doing anything else. Requests take time and most negative content does not qualify. Promoting positive content can start the same day.
- Paying for guaranteed removal. Nobody controls Google's decisions or a publisher's. Anyone who guarantees the removal of lawful content should be asked exactly how.
- Stretching a legal route to fit. A legal notice sent to Google may be published on Lumen, so a weak claim used to remove criticism can become part of the story.
- Threatening the publisher. An aggressive letter rarely produces a correction and can become a second story.
- Forgetting AI answers. A page that leaves Google's first page can still be a source AI assistants draw on. Check what they say separately, as we explain in [How AI assistants decide what to say about your brand](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/how-ai-assistants-decide-what-to-say-about-your-brand).
- Answering bad reviews with fake ones. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 includes an [explicit ban on posting and commissioning fake reviews](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-to-boost-consumer-and-business-confidence-as-new-consumer-protection-regime-comes-into-force) (GOV.UK, 7 April 2025). [Online reviews and your search reputation](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/online-reviews-and-search-reputation) covers the honest alternatives.

## Questions to ask your team or agency

- For each negative result, which removal route applies, if any, and what evidence do we have?
- Have we asked the publisher to correct or update it, and what exactly did we ask for?
- Is the content about the company or about a named person, and does that change our options?
- If Google removed it, where would it still appear, including other search engines and AI answers?
- What are we doing to push it down while any request is pending?

## How we help

Our [online reputation management](https://marketingsignals.com/service/online-reputation-management) work starts from the position that most negative content cannot be removed, so we highlight the positive to push the negative down. We audit what ranks for your name and what AI assistants say about you, flag the few results where a correction or removal route looks realistic so you can pursue them with your legal advisers, and promote existing and new positive content on your own site and on third-party sites. It draws on the same [Digital PR](https://marketingsignals.com/service/digital-pr) work we run for clients' commercial campaigns. If there is a result you want gone, talk to us about what is realistic.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can Google remove a negative article about my company?

Rarely. Google removes results that break its policies, such as exposed personal information or doxxing, and it reviews legal requests such as defamation claims, weighing the public interest. A lawful, accurate article about a company fits none of these, so it will usually stay. The publisher can update or delete it, and if that fails, the realistic option is to push it down by promoting positive pages that outrank it.

### Can a company director use the right to be forgotten?

Sometimes. The right applies to individuals, so a director can ask a search engine to remove results from searches on their own name where they significantly affect their privacy. The search engine weighs accuracy, relevance, age, the person's public role and whether the content is journalism. Results about someone's professional life are the hardest to delist. If a request is refused, the director can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.

### What does a company need to show to sue for defamation in England and Wales?

Under the Defamation Act 2013, a statement is not defamatory unless it has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to reputation. For a body that trades for profit, that harm must have caused or be likely to cause serious financial loss. A claim must be brought within one year under the Limitation Act 1980. Scotland has its own Act with a similar test. Take advice from a specialist solicitor.

### What is Google's Refresh outdated content tool?

It is a Google form that asks Search to update a result after the source page has been deleted or changed but Google still shows the old version. Google says you do not need to own the website to use it. It only works once the publisher has made the change, so it is the second step after a successful request to the publisher, not a way to remove content that is still live.

### Does removing a result from Google remove it from the internet?

No. Google can only remove results from Google Search. The page stays on the original website and can still be found through links, social media and other search engines. Some removals, such as right to be forgotten delistings, apply only to searches on a person's name. To remove the content itself, the website owner has to change or delete it, which is why the publisher is usually the first call.

## Sources

- [Google Search Help: Remove personally identifiable info or doxxing content from Google Search (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9673730?hl=en-GB)
- [Google Search Help: Removal troubleshooter for content in Google Search (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/9685456)
- [Google Search Help: Results about you (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/12719076?hl=en-GB)
- [Google Search Help: Remove content about you on exploitative sites that try to charge for removal (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/9172218?hl=en)
- [Google Search Help: Refresh outdated content in Google Search (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6349986?hl=en-GB)
- [Google Search Console Help: Removals and SafeSearch reports tool (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9689846?hl=en)
- [Google Legal Help: Learn how to report content for legal reasons (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/legal-help-center/answer/13887279?hl=en)
- [Google Legal Help: Defamation overview (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/legal-help-center/answer/16833565?hl=en)
- [Google Legal Help: Report content for legal reasons, including Lumen notice (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/legal/answer/3110420?hl=en-GB)
- [Google Legal Help: Right to be Forgotten overview (checked November 2026)](https://support.google.com/legal/answer/10769224?hl=en)
- [ICO: Internet search results (guidance under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act, 19 June 2025)](https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/internet-search-results)
- [legislation.gov.uk: Defamation Act 2013, section 1, Serious harm](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/1/2013-04-25?view=plain)
- [legislation.gov.uk: Defamation Act 2013, section 5, Operators of websites](https://legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/5)
- [legislation.gov.uk: Defamation Act 2013, section 13, Order to remove statement or cease distribution](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/section/13/data.html)
- [legislation.gov.uk: Limitation Act 1980, section 4A, Time limit for actions for defamation or malicious falsehood](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/4A)
- [legislation.gov.uk: Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021, section 1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/10/section/1/enacted)
- [IPSO: Make a complaint (checked November 2026)](https://www.ipso.co.uk/complain)
- [IPSO: A question of accuracy](https://www.ipso.co.uk/news-analysis/a-question-of-accuracy)
- [GOV.UK: CMA to boost consumer and business confidence as new consumer protection regime comes into force (7 April 2025)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-to-boost-consumer-and-business-confidence-as-new-consumer-protection-regime-comes-into-force)

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