A negative article, false statement, personal photo, or harmful post can become viral and remain on the internet for quite some time. When someone searches for the company or an employee online, such content will be among the top results. This may influence the first impression made by the employer. It is important for an employer to know how to deal with the harmful content on the Internet.
Not all negative search results need to be removed. But when the online content is false, threatening, violates privacy, or has other problems, it might be useful to know what one’s options are.
Start by Assessing the Content
Employers need to assess the content and determine exactly where and what has been posted before asking for it to be taken down. It is helpful to save the URLs for the content along with any screenshots that can show when the content was posted.
It is also necessary to consider the difference between criticism and content that might have legal consequences. Negative reviews or opinions about a business may not be considered for removal just because they make the business look bad. Personal information, impersonation, some privacy issues, and obvious lies may pose other problems.
However, content that contains personal information, impersonation, certain privacy violations, and false statements might be viewed differently. However, content that includes personal information, impersonation, certain privacy issues, or that is clearly a lie could be something else.
When Professional Assistance May Be Useful
Certain employers might contact the website directly and ask for the material to be reviewed or deleted. Such an approach can be the simplest solution if there is a certain procedure for correcting or reporting at the publisher's end.
But having several websites can complicate the task. There might be different procedures for contacting, different requirements, etc. In such cases, employers can conduct some research on content removal services that can help them remove content that needs to be removed.
Content Removal.com is an example of such a firm that offers assistance in getting rid of undesirable content on the Internet. Employers should consider what they are going to have removed, how much it will cost, what their privacy policies are, and the terms of the service before using it. Knowing what actions are going to be taken is a must.
Website Removal Is Different From Google Removal
The most critical difference for employers is the distinction between website removal and Google removal.
Website removal is when the publisher or website platform removes the actual page, image, video, or post from its original location. If the removal process is effective, then the page will be deleted from its original website.
Google removal, on the other hand, is when Google has mechanisms to remove certain pages or content from its search results. The removal process is only effective if the request is granted, and in such a case, the search results will not show the content, but the page will still exist on the original website. This is crucial to note since removal of the search result will not delete the source material.
Select an Informed and Evidence-based Way
In case the content is misleading, you need to first document the content, the source, and the reporting process for the website. In cases of multiple platforms or when the process gets difficult to handle, it may be a good idea to seek help.
The objective should be to deal with inappropriate or harmful material in an appropriate manner, not to have all the bad outcomes go away. It is important to distinguish between source removal and search-result removal in order to set realistic expectations and decide on the appropriate action for employers.
