Instagram Testing ‘Favorites’ List to Enhance Private Sharing Among Custom Friend Group

Instagram is today beginning a small test for a new feature called “favorites,” which allows users to create a customized list of their closest friends, and from there choose to share posts and story updates only with their favorites list. Instagram product lead Robby Stein told The Verge that the company has been working on the feature for more than a year, and a broader release is expected over the next few months.

The first step tasks users with creating their favorites list by tapping on friends and family members they want to be able to see their private posts. These additions can be edited at any time, and other Instagram users are never notified when they’re added or removed from a favorites list. Then, when creating a post there will be a new option to share the image or 24-hour story post only to a favorites list, instead of posting publicly or direct messaging as usual.

Image via The Verge

Instagram has begun testing a way to share posts with a more limited group of friends. Called favorites, the feature attempts to improve on earlier social network friend lists, encouraging users to post more often by giving them more control over their audience.

The green “favorites” badge is a small thing, but it signals your affection to the friends of yours who see it, in a way that I suspect will build a sense of intimacy. Seeing a favorites post nestled in among all the other posts in your feed feels like a bonus.

When posted to favorites, those in the list will see the post on their own Instagram feed, but it’ll be denoted as a private post with a green “favorites” badge. User profiles will be updated with a favorites tab as well, and every traditional Instagram post that’s been shared to favorites (not including ephemeral stories) will be accumulated there for all of a person’s favorites to return to and browse.

Stein said that the company is trying hard “to get this right,” emphasizing favorites’ privacy angle. Those on a person’s favorites list will never be made aware of who else is on the list as lists aren’t made public, so the only way for them to know they’re a favorite is by looking for the green badges on posts. If someone decides they want to remove a favorite, that person will immediately lose access to the other user’s favorites tab on their profile, which will appear empty.

Additionally, there’s no cap on the number of favorites that can be in one list, but Instagram expects each user to have between 10 and 30 since the whole point is sharing pictures in a more intimate, closed-off setting.

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PlayerUnknown always knew ‘Battlegrounds’ was destined for greatness

E3 can be grueling, and few know that better than Brendan Greene, who you may know by his moniker, PlayerUnknown. Greene’s game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, has sold 3.5 million copies after two months in early access, built on the back of five years creating a “battle royale” mod for the military shooter Arma 3.

While the game’s success caught most of the gaming world off-guard, Greene was not surprised by the game’s success. By bringing his community into the fold, and keeping them there, understanding the progression of game development, and keeping a clear timeline and singular focus, PlayerUnknown knew exactly what was coming, and Battlegrounds is poised to continue dominating the PC gaming space.

From humble beginnings

For the last five years, PlayerUnknown has been a key player in growing what players call “Battle Royale” games. Like the 2000 Japanese movie of the same name, players are dropped onto a deserted island, and forced to fight until only one player is left standing. In each round of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, 100 real, live people jump out of a plane onto a 64-kilometer abandoned island with one goal: Find weapons and kill each other. Though, Battlegrounds is the most well known by far, a number of games have continuously popped up in the genre, and Greene has had his hands in several of them.

“We have a lot of players that were just passionate about me getting to make my own ‘battle royale’ game,” Greene told Digital Trends. “Some of them have been with me from the ARMA 2 days. I’ve very rarely asked for donations. I paid for the servers myself, and I never asked for anything, I just gave them a good mod to play.”

That self-sufficient, selfless attitude has permeated into Greene’s development style. His focus lies squarely on the game, and the experience, and not with how it will make money. That’s a change of pace, especially in PC Gaming, where the rise of DLC and free-to-play games have forced designers to consider their monetization strategy from the word “go.”

“I really believe that’s what you should do, I just want to make a good game,” Greene said “It’s the same thing with PUBG, we just want a well made game, get it out, performing well for everyone, that’s our goal here. Monetization, that will come later, when the game’s stable. Our priority is getting a good experience for everyone.”

Making the transition

Of course, bringing that mentality to an existing publisher like Korean Bluehole Inc. was easier said than done. Switching over from handling the mod as a one-man project to a complete game has brought its own set of unique challenges.

“When I was starting at the mod I did most of the things myself. Even today on the github when they’re changing some of the original code it says ‘warning: original code, very messy’ because I can’t code to save my life. I can, but not very well.”

That led us to a burning question regarding a PlayerUnkown’s BattleGrounds urban legend: Vehicles spawn randomly on the map each round, but players have noted that, at least most of the time, vehicles spawn facing east. For those who believe it, the quirk has become a tactical consideration: Players will look at which way a car is facing to see if someone has driven the vehicle, which means they might be lurking nearby.

“That’s probably true,” Greene laughs. “There’s probably something in the code that does that, but we can fix that. There are a lot of these systems that we’ve added that are not complete yet, that cause these little things that people notice. That’s why we have early access, so we get three million people playing and giving feedback.”

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The game’s unpolished coding has helped define the game’s aesthetic, and created a competitive world with its own own unique appeal. Being part of a larger development process also meant changing the way he laid out his vision, and how much he put in other developers’ hands. As a lot of new modders-turned-developers learned, that isn’t always the easiest transition.

“From doing that and implementing everything to being creative director where it’s my vision, and I lay out the vision and I have teams of people, that was tough at the start, because I was trying to micro-manage everything. That’s just bad to do, you have to leave the teams to do their work, and trust them. And now that I do, it’s amazing. They’re really great at what they do.”

After placing his trust in the team at Bluehole Inc., Greene found it easier to move forward with the project in clearer ways, allowing for a more succinct development timeline, and more ingrained new features, like jumping and vaulting.

A steady stream

Greene sees PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds as more than just a single game mode in a vacuum. As a devout modder, he sees the potential in a community to create something far greater than the developers could even imagine.

“That’s why we have early access, so we get three million people playing and giving feedback.”

“We’re trying to build a platform for game modes. We give them lots of assets, with zombies, the two new maps, and weapons we’re adding, they’re then free to create whatever they want, he said. “Those aspects won’t be limited to streaming partners for much longer, as the team hopes to continue to roll out the extra settings and custom game modes in a more meaningful way soon, while still providing bonuses to those who build content outside the game.

Greene’s development and marketing philosophy goes beyond just wanting streamers to share his game with the world, it’s about building a better game for the fans who love it. “I think this is important for [Battlegrounds‘] longevity. We’re not providing a game, we’re providing a platform for many things — not just battle royale.”

Still listening

With his name right on box, you might expect Greene to shrink back and limit his exposure to the flood of user reports and suggestions, but he’s done quite the opposite. “We have a super active user community, because they want to see this be the best version of battle royale. Through me they have a direct conduit. I’ll say to all the people who follow me on twitter and tweet stuff at us. Although we don’t reply to everyone, I read everything. I see all the tweets and all the suggestions.”

Green says that open ear extends to everyone who plays the game. “People go ‘oh they won’t listen to us because we’re not a big streamer’ and that’s so far from the truth. If it’s a good idea, or it’s a bug, I just copy and paste the tweet into our internal Slack. When I don’t respond, people think I’m not listening, but the truth is, my fingers can only do so much in one day.”

Spice up your home screen with the best widgets for Android

In the early days of Android, widgets were all the rage, but in recent years they’ve become window dressing. Lots of the best Android apps have great widgets built-in and they serve a multitude of shortcut purposes. Since powerful performance comes as standard in today’s best smartphones, there’s no longer any need to worry about the impact of Android widgets, so why not put some to use? We’ve gathered together a list of some of the best widgets for Android for you right here. Some will probably be familiar, some won’t. If you can’t find the widget you’ve been looking for, you’ll be pleased to find our first entry is a versatile widget maker.

KWGT Kustom Widget Maker

If you have a picture in your head of the exact widget you want, but you just can’t find it, then why not build it yourself with KWGT? This app features a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor that enables you to put together your own blend of text, shapes, colors, gradients, effects, actions, and more. If you’re willing to put in some time, you can create your ideal Android widgets covering everything including time, weather, music, battery, or whatever else you can think of. The pro version gets rid of ads and offers some extras for $5.

Download now from:

Google Play

On Time

Home screens can get kind of cluttered, so we love the concept of space-saving Android widgets. On Time is a widget that displays your chosen selection of app icons, but you can set different selections for different times of day. If you always check Twitter and Feedly in the morning, then include them in your morning slot. You can have a different line-up for the afternoon, and another one for the evening. There’s even Tasker integration here, which allows you to do stuff like automatically throw up an entertainment list with music and video apps when you plug your headphones in.

Download now from:

Google Play

Buzz Widget

This incredibly customizable widget editor enables you to choose from countless premade widgets or dive into the options and create your own. As usual, you can include the clock, date, weather, and battery, but Buzz Widget also covers music. As long as you use Google Play Music, Poweramp, or another supported service you can put together your ideal music controls widget with album art. The sheer choice, covering everything from opacity and color to font and orientation, may be intimidating at first, but it allows you to create the exact look you want.

Download now from:

Amazon Apps Google Play

1Weather

You get a nice range of different weather widgets to choose from with 1Weather. There are big widgets, small widgets, and even a round widget. The larger ones display the time, date, and location alongside the temperature and other weather details. The smallest one is a simple temperature and weather icon combo for your location. You can also get forecasts and other details, and you can track multiple locations.

Download now from:

Google Play

Google Keep

We like to use the Keep widget for shopping lists, as it cuts down on our usual, distracted, aimless shuffling up and down the aisles, but you can also use it for reminders or other kinds of notes. Choose what kinds of notes you want to appear, and there’s a tiny plus icon in the corner, so you can quickly and conveniently make new notes as text, lists, audio, drawings, or photos. Keep syncs all your notes across any devices you’re logged into with your Google account, and the widgets are simple and very handy.

Download now from:

Google Play

Battery Widget Reborn

This one is straightforward, showing you at-a-glance how much power you have remaining. It’s a circular design and the outer rim fills to indicate the remaining power percentage, which also appears as a number in the center. You can configure it to display charging status, and tweak the color and size to suit you. Tap on it and you get a closer look at your battery usage and some shortcut toggles to help you save power.

Download now from:

Google Play

Minimalistic Text: Widgets

As the name suggests, this simple widget app enables you to display minimalistic text showing you information on the time, date, battery, and weather. There’s a handy layout editor that allows you to fiddle with the font, size, color, orientation, and more. This widget app also plugs into Tasker, if you want to set up an action to trigger, and it supports Buzz Launcher, too, making it easy to share your customized Android home screen.

Download now from:

Amazon Google Play

S.Graph: Calendar Clock Widget

This clever widget is also one of the most stylish Android widgets we’ve ever seen. It plugs into your Google calendar — which already has plenty of neat things you can do — and displays your day’s events on the clock face. You can see the date and time at-a-glance, alongside whatever you’re supposed to be doing. It’s a nice, intuitive way to keep track of your schedule throughout the day, and you can tap on the widget and add events directly. There are quite a few configurable options, but certain things, like the extended color palette, have to be purchased.

Download now from:

Google Play

HD Widgets ($1)

If you want lots of choice to customize the basics of your Android widgets, without drowning in options, then HD Widgets is for you. Put together your ideal blend of clock, date, switches, weather, forecast, and location in the precise size, color, and style you want. There are also a lot of extra theme packs for this app, including Kairo (pictured). It has been around for years, but it’s still one of the best Android widget apps.

Download now from:

Google Play

Contextual App Folder

This app is a bit like On Time, but it supports different contextual groupings of apps that are triggered by events. In effect, you can have the apps in the widget on your home screen change based on Geo location, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, charging, calling, the time, app notifications, plugging your headphones in, or a combination of triggers. So, for example, you could have Sonos, Netflix, and your lighting app pop up when you connect to your home Wi-Fi. You do have to pay $2 to access the combination triggers, but there’s a lot you can do with the free version.

Download now from:

Google Play

Upcoming WhatsApp update will let you share any type of file

WhatsApp will soon let you share any file you want, as long as it’s under 128MB.

Currently, you can share photos, audio and video files, and PDF documents on WhatsApp, but the Facebook-owned messaging platform will soon allow you to share any type of file. As noted by WABetaInfo, the update is being tested with a small subset of users, and should be rolling out to WhatsApp’s 1.2 billion customers shortly.

According to the publication, you’ll be able to share any file with your contacts or in a group as long as it’s under 128MB on Android, 100MB on iOS, and 64MB on WhatsApp Web. Presumably, the file size restriction is put in place to ensure WhatsApp’s servers don’t get overwhelmed by users sharing high-res movies or 4K videos shot on their phones.

The update will also include the ability to share APK files, which will be of particular interest to users in India as it’ll make it easier for them to pirate apps and games. WhatsApp usage is ubiquitous in the country, and the service is looking to make the switch from a messaging app to a full-fledged platform. Giving users the ability to share whatever files they want brings it closer to achieving that goal.

Every Voice Command you can use in Star Trek: Bridge Crew

It’s like Google Assistant, only with torpedoes.

Ubisoft and Intel have partnered up to add voice commands to Star Trek: Bridge Crew, which means you can control your AI crewmates with your voice and actually get results when you get tired of shouting at humans who probably aren’t listening very well.

This update works for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR all the same way, so we’ve assembled this quick little guide to show you how to issue commands and the complete list of commands you can issue to really complete the Bridge Crew experience. Enjoy!

Read More at VR Heads!

What is Project Fi, how does it work and why do I want it?

Google’s own carrier offering definitely has some appeal.

If you’re an Android enthusiast, you’ve likely already heard of Project Fi. But that doesn’t mean you necessarily know everything about it, so we’re here to give you the high-level look at the carrier option that comes directly from Google. Namely, just what the heck it is, how it works compared to other carriers and maybe a few reasons why you’d want to try it.

If you’re interested in checking out phone service from Google, be sure to follow along with some of the high points below and get acquainted with Project Fi.

What is Project Fi?

At the highest level, Project Fi is a phone carrier offering from Google. It works by giving you mobile data service on three mobile networks, which your phone will intelligently switch between — it also uses Wi-Fi to make calls and send texts whenever available. Project Fi is a “prepaid” carrier, meaning you pay upfront for your service in the trailing month, which is the opposite of a traditional carrier (Verizon, AT&T, etc.) that bills you after you use the service.

It’s all about simplified billing with no hidden fees or overages.

Project Fi is focused on simplified billing. You pay $20 per month for unlimited talk and texting, and a flat rate of $10 per gigabyte of data used. At the start of each month you simply estimate how much data you’ll use and pay for that amount — at the end of the month you’ll receive either a refund for data you didn’t use, or pay a little extra on the next bill for data overages. You’ll always pay at the same $10 per gigabyte rate, though, no matter what.

You can also set up a “Group Plan” on Project Fi for up to six people to share a single account and billing source. With a Group Plan, all of the same features of an individual plan apply, but you save a bit of money per person. Billing is handled centrally by the account administrator, along with data limitations for each user (if needed). Project Fi automatically manages how much each member owes to the group plan monthly and facilitates payments back to the account admin. Individuals can come and go from a Group Plan as they wish, without any contract.

Project Fi is available for the Pixel XL, Pixel, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6. You can also use a data-only SIM card with any tablet that supports the T-Mobile network.

How does it work?

Project Fi works with a special SIM card — and a little software on your phone — that can authenticate you on T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, and switch between them on the fly based on a variety of factors. Because it can also use Wi-Fi for calls and texts, you can keep using your phone in places where mobile data isn’t that great. Extra software called a “Wi-Fi Assistant” will automatically connect your phone to open Wi-Fi access points when you’re out of the house, reducing your data usage without any intervention on your part.

You get the power of three mobile networks, plus Wi-Fi, in a single SIM

When you use Project Fi, you also get some of the same features that have made Google Voice popular over the years. You can forward phone calls to your Fi number to any phone you want, as well as view voicemail, make calls and send texts with that number from any device using the Hangouts app and website.

Project Fi also works internationally in 120 countries around the world with no additional cost for data use or texting. You can call at a flat rate to any number while on the cellular networks abroad, or pay much lower rates when calling on Wi-Fi. You can also call back home to the U.S. on Wi-Fi for free. Data used internationally just comes out of your standard $10 per gigabyte bucket, but speeds can vary depending on the country you’re in.

Why do I want it?

Well, this is really a personal question of whether you actually want to try Project Fi. Chances are if you’re reading Android Central you’re at least one step closer to being the target audience for the Google-powered carrier, but there are a few other boxes to check that make it the right choice for you.

Simplicity in the service and billing are paramount to the experience.

The only big issue for most people is the limited phone choices. Google lets you use its latest phones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, on Project Fi, or you can bring one of the last three Nexus phones — the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X or Nexus 6. But that’s it. But if you’re okay with that limitation, you don’t have many other hurdles to jump over. You can sign up for Project Fi online in minutes, and you can either buy a Pixel phone or Google will send you a SIM card to put in your existing Pixel or Nexus. Once it arrives, you can start the typical porting process of bringing your current phone number to Fi, or can start fresh with a new number. You can use Project Fi for as long or short as you want, as there aren’t any contracts or commitments involved.

There are lots of cool features that make Project Fi a good choice, like the simplified billing, included international features and improved network coverage through the use of three carriers and Wi-Fi networks. Each one will have a different amount of draw for different people, though.

Project Fi’s pricing isn’t dramatically lower than other carriers out there, and whether it makes a good choice financially for you depends on your data usage and which features you want. We encourage you to do your pricing research before choosing which carrier is the best.

And whether you’re still on the fence or just curious about it, be sure to follow all of our Project Fi coverage here at Android Central.

Update June 2017: Refreshed with the latest links and information on Project Fi plans and pricing.

Google Project Fi

• What is Project Fi?
• Get the latest Project Fi news
• Discuss Project Fi in our forums
• Phones: Google Pixel | Nexus 6P | Nexus 5X | Nexus 6
• Sign up for Project Fi

YouTube’s new VR180 format makes virtual reality easy to create

YouTube’s new VR180 video format bridges the gap between 2D and VR, and it’s going to be a big deal.

At VidCon 2017, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced some big things for the platform, including a mind-blowing statistic: 1.5 billion people watch YouTube videos monthly.

But one of the bigger topics discussed at the show was an upcoming video format called VR180, which combines virtual reality and regular old flat 2D content into a single video. Using new cameras that will be available from Lenovo, Yi and LG later this year, videos are shot in 180-degrees, so not the completely 360-degree notion of what we think of as traditional VR, but can also be watched on a flat phone or computer screen with ostensibly no loss in quality.

The idea behind VR180 is that, right now, traditional VR scenes must be filmed using either expensive proprietary cameras or lower-quality consumer hardware, like the Gear 360, and there’s very little incentive for someone to watch that film in 2D since it wasn’t designed for such a thing. VR180 aims to keep the qualities of both, and “this format delivers 3-D video while capturing 180-degrees around you. Creators only have to worry about recording what’s in front of them while viewers get an awesome, immersive experience with a VR headset, or a video that looks just as great on a phone as any other video.”

YouTube already has some VR180 films uploaded using prototype cameras, and you can watch the one above (which is pretty amazing even on this 13-inch laptop screen) in VR as well.

There were some other big announcements on the YouTube front, too:

• The YouTube app for Android will adjust properly to videos shot in portrait, or in square formats.
• YouTube’s sharing features that launched earlier this year in Canada are expanding to Latin America and the U.S.
• YouTube TV is getting ten new markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington, D.C., Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne and Charlotte.
• YouTube Red is getting some new original programming, raising the number to 37 altogether.

YouTube TV vs. Sling TV: Which one is worth your money?

Are those cheap VR headsets worth it?

What’s the harm in buying the cheapest VR headset you can find?

The absolute coolest thing Google has done with VR is make it something truly accessible to everyone. Earlier this year, Hallmark started building Google Cardboard headset into some of its premium cards, just to give you an idea of just how accessible this simple bit of immersive technology is now. While $13 and tax is a little much for a greeting card, it’s right on par with some of the cheapest VR headsets you can buy today, and that level of accessibility is amazing.

That having been said, just because you can buy a VR headset for less than an average movie ticket doesn’t always mean you should. Here’s what you gain and lose by looking at the cheapest form of VR as your default purchase option.

The cost of immersion

Good VR isn’t cheap, but cheap VR can be pretty good.

There are two big things that make VR interesting, and they both have to do with that sense of immersion. A successful VR experience tricks you into thinking, if only for a moment, that you are actually a part of the thing you’re watching or interacting with. Immersion is a lot easier with the big Desktop VR headsets, with motion controllers and the ability to walk around in the virtual environment. With portable viewers like Google Cardboard, those moments of true immersion rely on your ability to shut out the world around you for a moment.

A big part of this can be resolved with audio. A set of decent headphones connected to your phone can make you feel more present and immersed in any VR experience. The other thing is comfort, which is often difficult to accomplish when holding an actual cardboard box to your face with both of your hands.

While it can be helpful for a VR headset to have a head strap and headphones built in, so you can just put the headset on and have your arms resting at your side, it’s not a requirement by any means. It ultimately comes down to personal comfort, which for some people means not having anything tightly secured to your face but still able to fill your field of view with the experience playing out on your phone.

Inexpensive and cheap aren’t always the same thing

There are inexpensive VR headsets worth taking a look at to see if the experience provided is enough for you to appreciate the immersion, but they’re often a little unusually designed when compared to the traditional Google Cardboard experience. Some headset offer a rigid plastic shell to hold the phone and strap to your head, but several others fold up like prescription glasses and can actually be carried your wallet when not in use. There’s no one answer here for the “right” kind of mobile VR headset, because comfort is a very personal thing. This is a big part of why Google Cardboard is so open to new designs and concepts, because accessibility is the most important part of this particular experience.

It’s important to remember Google Cardboard apps were never meant to be the kind of thing you enjoyed for more than a few minutes at a time. Those little bursts of immersion are enough to make you say “wow let me share this” and pass the headset around a group of friends. If your goal is to put this headset on and wear it for an hour or more, you really should start looking at Google Daydream and not too far beneath that level of build quality and immersion.

More: Samsung Gear VR (2017) review

Enjoy an ad-free Pocket-lint with Multipass!

Have you seen the yellow Multipass button on at the top of our website? Pocket-lint has teamed up with Multipass to give you a way to access not only Pocket-lint, but also some of your favourite websites around the web without adverts. Better yet you still have the knowledge that you are supporting the great journalism we offer.

Billed as a Netflix or Spotify for content, using Multipass will allow you to view Pocket-lint completely ad free without the worry of having to install complicated ad blockers or the awkwardness that you aren’t supporting your favourite sites.

Here are three good reasons to sign up to Multipass today:

Support journalists and content creators

Putting together a publication on a daily basis takes time and resources. Investigating stories, researching features, and testing review products all takes a lot of effort. That work has to be paid for. While some readers turned to the “grey” area of adblockers, the move means the content creators, that’s us in this case, aren’t getting paid for the work we do. Without revenue many websites wouldn’t be able to exist.  

Having a better surf experience

Paying for content on the web is standard practice for many publications from the Wall Street Journal to the The Times. Supporting journalists and content creators like us, allows us to create quality and diverse information. We’ve chosen to partner with Multipass to enable you to pay one subscription for a bundle of websites rather than just us.

Multipass gives you more than a single paywall

Single paywall offerings from major newspapers around the world offers you access to that site and no other. With Multipass you get access to not only Pocket-lint, but also a number of other websites covering a range of topics like politics and sport. The more websites that sign up to Multipass the more access to great ad-free content you get, meaning your subscription only becomes better over time. Think of it like a Spotify for content.

Normally, Multipass is $9.90 per month, but you can get the early adopter (Pocket-lint) price of $6.90 a month for a limited time. What’s even better, is you keep that price for the lifetime of your subscription.

You can find out more and sign up for Multipass at https://www.multipass.net/en

Google purges private medical records from search

Very few things qualify for removal from Google’s search results, and according to Bloomberg, that list just grew by one. The tech titan has apparently begun purging personal medical records from results pages — Google didn’t make a big announcement about it, but a new line on its Removal Policies website confirms the new rule. Under the section marked “Information we may remove,” there’s a new entry that says “confidential, personal medical records of private people.”

Google might have begun working on the category’s addition after an unfortunate event in December that exposed the sensitive medical condition of a massive number of people. An Indian pathology lab mistakenly uploaded 43,000 patients’ blood tests, including their names and corresponding HIV test results. Google, doing what Google does best, indexed them all. This new policy could prevent mishaps like that from affecting people’s lives, especially if they have a condition they only want close friends and family to know.

Before adding the new category, the search giant would only scrub your info if they’re something that’d make it easy to steal your identity. Those include Social Security Numbers and photos of signatures, as well as personal financial data like credit cards and bank accounts. It then eventually started accepting requests to remove revenge porn or nude images uploaded to the internet without your consent. Other than those, though, the only way you could get your info pulled was to take advantage of EU’s “Right to be forgotten” rule, and that would only work if you’re from one of the union’s member states.

Source: Bloomberg