Data Shows Which Negative Search Results Can Actually Be Removed

This post was sponsored by Erase. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

Say a client sends you five links. There’s a Google review, a Yelp review, a republished court record, a Reddit thread, and a local news story. Which ones can come down?

Going by our 2026 data, an eligible Google review and a republished court record usually can. The Yelp review, the Reddit thread, and the news story are more difficult.

Negative content can also appear in AI-generated answers. Our May analysis for SEJ found AI Overviews showing negative reviews in searches that didn’t ask for them. That makes it useful to know which sources are likely to remove content and which require a different approach.

Negative Search Results: What 2026 Removal Data Shows

We looked at 22,620 links clients sent to Erase.com between January 1 and September 21, 2026. They came from about 1,650 websites, and the results split sharply by site.

In this analysis, a successful removal could mean taking a page down, de-indexing it, or removing the client’s name or photo. De-indexing keeps a page out of Google’s search results without taking it offline.

What People Asked To Remove: Google Reviews Led

Google reviews made up about half of the links in the category breakdown. That breakdown excludes the image-heavy case described in the methodology.

• Google reviews: 52%
• Images and video: 13%
• Reviews on other sites: 11%
• News articles: 6%
• Social media posts: 6%
• Court records: 4%
• Mugshots: 2%
• Forums, mostly Reddit: 2%
• People-search listings: 1%

More than 1,000 websites showed up only once in the data. News links alone came from 708 different outlets, each with its own editors and rules.

Easier To Remove: Eligible Google Reviews

Google reviews came down more reliably than almost anything else we handled.

Google lists the reviews it will remove in its prohibited and restricted content policy. The list includes fake reviews, impersonation, harassment, off-topic posts, and personal information. When a review clearly fits one of those, Google usually takes it down.

Fastest To Remove: Court Records, Mugshots & People-Search Listings

Republished court records, mugshots, and people-search listings were the most reliable categories and the fastest to remove. The median removal in each took less than two weeks.

Harder To Remove: Yelp Reviews, Reddit Threads & News Stories

Reviews on Yelp, Trustpilot, Indeed, BBB, and Glassdoor rarely came down. Reddit threads and news stories were also harder to remove.

How Long Successful Content Removals Took

For successful outcomes, the median time was 18 days. Of those, 71% were confirmed within 30 days and 91% within 90 days. These figures describe how long successful outcomes took, not the likelihood that a submitted link would be removed.

Full removals were faster than de-indexing, at a median of 14 days versus 21.

Some successful Google review removals took much longer. About one in 10 took more than 90 days, so don’t give up on a report after a month.

How To Remove Negative Search Results By Source

Use these findings to set expectations, then follow the removal route that matches each source.

Step 1: Group Negative Search Results By Source

Group your negative links by website, then check each site’s rules and removal options. Start with the sites that move fast, like court-record and people-search sites. If removal or de-indexing isn’t available, plan to push the link down in search instead.

Choose the route that matches each link’s source: Google reviews | Yelp and other reviews | Court records | Mugshots and people-search | Social posts | News, Reddit and government pages.

Step 2a: How To Remove Google Reviews

Before reporting a Google review, check the platform’s policies and the legal limits on removal requests. The FTC’s Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule took effect in October 2024. It bars businesses from using threats, intimidation, or false accusations to get a review removed.

Check Whether The Google Review Violates Policy

1. Find the policy the review breaks. A review that is not based on a genuine experience can qualify. A harsh but honest review usually doesn’t. This page covers which Google reviews can be removed.

Report The Google Review, Then Appeal If Needed

2. Report it in Google’s Reviews Management Tool. If Google says no, you can appeal in the same tool and add supporting details.

Step 2b: How To Remove Yelp Reviews

Google reviews accounted for 82% of our review work. Yelp made up about half of the rest, with more than 1,000 links across its U.S. and Canadian sites. Very few of those Yelp reviews came down.

Check The Review Against That Site’s Rules

Compare the review with that site’s rules. In our data, review sites other than Google left reviews up far more often.

Reply Publicly If The Review Stays Up

If a Yelp or Trustpilot review breaks no rule, a short, factual public reply is usually the better move.

Step 2c: How To Remove Republished Court Records

Court record sites such as Trellis, UniCourt, Justia, CaseMine, vLex, and CourtListener usually removed or de-indexed the records we handled. These sites copy filings from court websites. De-indexing means Google stops showing the page, but the page still exists. More than a quarter of successful court-record cases involved de-indexing rather than full removal.

Find Republished Court Records, Then Request Host Removal

The court’s own record rarely changes, so start with the copies. Here is how removal from court record sites works.

Step 2d: How To Remove Mugshots Or Opt Out Of People-Search Listings

Ask The Mugshot Site To Remove Its Listing

Mugshot sites, including Mugshots.zone, Arrests.org, RecentlyBooked, and BustedNewspaper, usually took listings down. We keep a guide for each of these sites.

Opt Out Of People-Search Sites, Then Recheck

People-search sites list home addresses and phone numbers. Opt-outs on Whitepages, TruePeopleSearch, Radaris, Spokeo, and FastPeopleSearch usually worked. As our August SEJ article explained, listings can come back when a site refreshes its data.

Step 2e: How To Remove Social Posts That Break Platform Rules

Instagram posts came down most often, followed by posts on Facebook and X. TikTok and YouTube were the hardest social platforms in our data when there wasn’t a clear copyright or harmful content concern.

Identify Which Social-Platform Rule Was Broken

Check the post against the platform’s rules on impersonation, harassment, or sharing private information. For photos, check whether the post raises a copyright or privacy issue under that platform’s rules.

Report The Social Post Or Plan A Fallback

If a social post breaks a platform rule, report it under that rule. A post that only criticizes someone or contains commentary covered by fair use is much more difficult to remove. If removal isn’t an option, plan to push it down in search instead.

Step 2f: What To Do About News, Reddit Or Government Pages

News stories, Reddit threads, and government pages were the hardest to remove, along with most review sites other than Google.

News links came from 708 outlets, and most outlets left the story up unless there was a material reason for removal or a change in circumstances since publication. When an outlet did act, it often stopped short of deleting the story. About one in four successful news outcomes was a name removal, a photo removal, or de-indexing. It helps to know what news outlets will usually agree to before you ask.

Government websites rarely took anything down.

Ask News Outlets For A Name Edit Or De-Indexing

If full removal isn’t possible, ask for less. A news site may agree to take your name out of a story or keep Google from indexing the page. Either change affects what people see when they search your name.

Report Reddit Posts That Break Site Rules

Reddit made up 260 links, and threads rarely came down. Moderators remove posts that break subreddit or site rules; being unflattering alone is not a rule violation. See when a Reddit thread can be removed.

Vet Content-Removal Services: Ask About Sites, Outcomes & Timing

If you prefer to hire a provider rather than handle these requests yourself, ask these four questions.

1. Which sites do you get content removed from? A good answer names sites. Google reviews and court record sites are realistic. Yelp and news sites are long shots, and a provider who says otherwise should explain how.
2. Will this be removed, de-indexed, or pushed down in search? These are different results. Full removal takes the page off the web. De-indexing hides it from Google, and pushing it down only changes where it ranks.
3. What rule does this content break? If the provider can’t name one, ask how they plan to get it removed. The FTC rule bans threats and false accusations aimed at getting reviews taken down.
4. How long should this take? For successful removals, expect weeks for court records and people-search sites. News removals often take a month or more.

If you want a second opinion, send us your links. We’ll tell you which ones are likely to come down and how long each should take.

About The 2026 Content-Removal Data

Erase.com analyzed 22,620 of the links sent to us for removal, with work starting between January 1 and September 21, 2026. We counted a link as removed if it was taken down, de-indexed, or had the client’s name or photo taken out. Links the client paused or canceled were excluded from outcome comparisons.

This data doesn’t cover all of our work. It excludes work for clients on subscription and retainer-based removal plans such as data broker removals and our copyright takedowns for sensitive images, which we run as separate programs.

One case with about 3,500 image links is part of the 22,620 total, but we left it out of the category numbers so it wouldn’t skew them. Timing figures cover 13,482 links removed in that period, including some work that started in late 2025. They are measured from the start of work to the confirmed outcome.

Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by Erase. Used with permission.

In-Post Images: Images by Erase. Used with permission.