Google Searches of our Names

Seesaw_Life · 18 May 2017 at 4:29PM

The Gazette has the following in its FAQ:

"Excluding personal insolvency notices from search engine results

We maintain personal insolvency notices on The Gazette website as part of a permanent official record. However, we instruct search engines to start to exclude personal insolvency notices from their search results after the bankruptcy has been discharged and information about the insolvency is removed from insolvency service registers (in the UK this happens after 1 year and 3 months).
Every type of insolvency notice has a different notice code and each notice code is automatically added to The Gazette’s robot.txt file 1 year and 3 months after it was placed. The robot.txt file instructs search engines, if they adhere to these rules, to exclude results from their search. The automatic adding of notice codes to The Gazette’s robot.txt file means that the first notice about your personal insolvency will be excluded from search engines 1 year and 3 months after it was placed, but it will take an additional year before the final notice about your bankruptcy is excluded."

My bankruptcy comes out on pg1 of a Google search of my name. Has anyone experience of this and when it drops off? Is the year and three months timeframe accurate or has anyone had issues?

Thanks

elljay · 18 May 2017 at 6:42PM

I lost a job because of this very issue, the manager at work wanted to check my postcode and just threw my name into Google and as you say, the Gazette entry was top of the page. Also someone I didn't want from my dim and distant past got in touch. I complained to Google who told me it was up to the Gazette. I complained to the Gazette who referred me to their policy, part of which you quote. I feel in this respect we are treated worse than criminals, it's so wrong to have this data easily findable on the internet. In the old days, someone would have to get the Gazette then look for you by name etc, they couldn't fall over your entry by accident when looking for something else.

However, rant over and to answer your question, yes the details stopped appearing once the timeframe was up. Such a relief - it was a long 15 months. Now someone has to specifically look on the Gazette site to find you.

EJ

dojoman · 19 May 2017 at 7:28AM

My name never appeared in any search by various search engines, and in the "old" days your name would have appeared in the local press.

worldlad909 · 22 May 2017 at 3:32PM

Thanks to the op who created this thread, mine has been removed around 9 months after the discharge. Also noticed Google put a notice saying some information has been removed due to data protection issues, might be something to do with me filing a complaint with Google.

I no longer appear on the InSolvency register either.

Djem6 · 8 June 2017 at 9:13AM

Hi,

We are 7 months past discharge and have noticed our initial bankrupcy notice has gone from google but the creditors meeting notice is still there from 13 months ago, will this be removed at some stage or will that always be visible? Does anyone know?

Thank you

elljay · 10 June 2017 at 10:30AM

Hmm well 3 years after going bankrupt I thought I'd just do a search on my first and last name and house name. Well well, and there I am again, top of google results! A company called Companies in the UK have pulled up someone who has a slightly similar name to mine and given their details (not bankrupt) and then they have a section 'possible appearances in the Gazette' and there I am - just because my name's a bit like the main one. Not impressed - and I don't suppose the person who's named as the main one is either!

If I put my name and just the village the same happens.

So you never escape the clutches......

ToxtethO'Grady · 10 June 2017 at 11:04AM

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/legal-removal-request?complaint_type=rtbf&visit_id=1-636326854360988187-3251133781&rd=1

The EU privacy right to be forgotten would be after discharge of the BR and 3 months unless there's a restriction, as all insolvencies are matters of public record until the timescale has elapsed, and restrictions show for the period of the restriction.

As it's in the Gazette you can fill in the form above to inform Google of this. Any employer or interested party who has to check for BR or insolvency would know to check the Gazette anyway.

Other search engines will have their own forms to fill in so once you've done one you should have an idea if they will and all the information you need to do it again.

A4445 · 11 June 2017 at 4:43PM

I've searched my name and nothing has shown up at all, I went bankrupt in 2009.

Djem6 · 17 June 2017 at 6:16PM

Does anyone know if the 1 year and 3 month rule applies to all notices , our original bankrupcy notices have gone but the creditors meeting is still showing on goigke 1 year and 2 months after it was put in the gazette . Is iit likely to go in another month or so?

ToxtethO'Grady · 18 June 2017 at 1:16AM

There will be a permanent record of your bankruptcy in The Gazette, its the insolvency register that has the 3 months after your insolvency finishes rule

Seesaw_Life · 5 March 2018 at 12:36PM

I'm the OP. Here's what happened to me.

The Bankruptcy fell out of Google searches (of the Gazette) at precisely 15 months after the first day of bankruptcy. This lasted for about three weeks before it reappeared, but this time the link went to the mobile version of the site. It looked like a script had been implemented to bar search engines from the main site, but not the mobile site. I questioned this with the insolvency service who were absolutely brilliant in the promptness and quality of their response. The result was that five days later it had gone.

Google Searches of our Names

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