Google has just updated its spam reporting documentation. From now on, any report that includes personally identifiable information will be simply ignored. An important clarification for anyone using this tool.
Key takeaway:
- Google has updated its documentation to warn that spam reports containing personal information will no longer be processed.
- Text submitted in a report may be passed word for word to the owner of the targeted site if manual action is taken.
- To protect your anonymity, avoid including your name, your site’s name, or any other information that could identify you.
- This change follows feedback from users worried about their data being shared with reported sites.
Why Google changed its rules
Until recently, Google's documentation stated that spam reports remained anonymous, provided no personal information was included. However, the search engine specified that it would forward the report's content verbatim to the site owner in the event of a manual action.
That wording obviously caused confusion. Users raised concerns with Google, fearing their personal data might end up in the hands of the spammers they were reporting.
In response, Google revised its copy. The new version of the documentation is more direct and explicit about the risks: the text submitted in the form may be communicated to the site concerned. And above all, if Google detects that the report contains personally identifiable information, it will simply not be processed.
What the new documentation actually says
The previous version reassured the user by indicating that the report remained anonymous " as long as you avoid including personal information ". The wording implied that responsibility rested with the user, without specifying the consequences of a failure.
The new version is unambiguous : For regulatory reasons, Google is required to forward the content of the report to the site owner if a manual action is taken. Consequently, any report deemed to contain personal data will be discarded without processing.
Please do not include personal information in your submission. In accordance with regulations, we must transmit the text of your submission to the site owner to help them understand the context of any manual action. Therefore, we will not process your submission if we determine it contains personal information, in order to protect your privacy. The absence of such information ensures the security of your data and prevents your submission from being discarded.
What this means for your reports
If you use Google's spam reporting tool, the rule is clear: do not mention your name, your site's name, your address, or any information that could identify you. This is no longer merely a recommendation, This is a prerequisite for your report to be considered.
On the one hand, this change better protects users against involuntary exposure of their data. On the other, it requires greater care when writing a report, otherwise it may be ignored without notification.
The article “Google will no longer process spam reports that contain personal information” was published on the site Abundance.
