This scenario is more common than you might think: a person’s mugshot appearing in a Google Search. This can be embarrassing for the individual and damaging to their reputation. It can also be harmful to their family and friends.

There are several ways to remove a picture from search results. Learn how to remove mugshots and why they appear on the Internet.

Why mugshots are posted online

Mugshots are public documents that anyone can access. In most states, it is not illegal to publish them online.

There are several online databases which host thousands of mugshots. These platforms may be the reason why mugshots are so easily spread on the Internet.

Although many of these sites claim that they are a “news-and-information” service, in reality, publishing a mugshot can be good business.

Dangers of publishing mugshots online

Even if a person is never found guilty or charged with a crime, their mugshot will have irreparable and lasting effects in many ways.

One’s reputation, personal relationships, and even employment could be affected. You may also lose out on potential opportunities or be unable to find housing. News of an arrest can have a negative impact on a business owner’s sales and partnerships.

How to remove mugshots on the Internet

Bottom line: the longer an image circulates online, the more difficult it is to remove it. It is important to act quickly if you want it removed.

1. Contact the webmaster

The best way to remove a mugshot from a website is to contact its owner and politely ask that the image be removed.

Details about a website’s contact information may be available on the site. Whois.com can also be used to search for domain ownership. If the site owner cannot be reached, you can contact the hosting company.

You should carefully read any policies that may be in place on a website when it comes time to remove images. The request should be made in a professional and clear manner.

In some cases, you may be asked to pay a fee to have a mugshot taken down.

2. Send Google an “Image Removal Request”.

Google can be contacted if the online publication of a mugshot poses a significant risk to privacy. To send a request for removal to Google simply select the type of request and fill out the form.

Don’t be surprised, however, if they are unable to help. Google has strict removal policies, and they are unlikely to remove the mugshot until it violates certain guidelines.

This removal request only applies Google search results. If the mugshot is still available on the original website, it will remain online.

3. Bury the mugshots in positive search results

If the first two steps don’t work, you can try to bury negative search results. This means that new content will be created that ranks higher that the mugshot.

Google search results that appear first are the results deemed to be most relevant for an individual. To determine relevance, algorithms consider factors such as keywords, authority, usability, quality of content and expertise of sources.

The page that has the most of these factors will be ranked highest. Therefore, you could try creating new content for pages with high authority. Here’s how to do it:

  • Create public social media accounts on well-known platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn.
  • Create a new Wikipedia article, including images
  • Get positive media mentions and images on high-authority publications and websites

The mugshot will not be removed, but it may be buried so deep in the search results that nobody will ever see it.

4. Expunge your criminal record

In some cases, it may be possible to expunge a criminal record. This means that certain arrests or convictions are removed.

This also means that any mugshots associated with arrests or convictions will be deleted.

Once the eligibility for expungement is determined, a petition can be filed with the court which heard the original case. Once the process has been completed, the mugshot is removed from public records.

5. Hire a data-removal service

If you want to protect your online data, it is best to seek the help of experts rather than trying to do everything yourself.

RemoveMyMugshot removes your personal information from publicly accessible database websites and data-broker websites to prevent it being used, shared or sold. DeleteMe privacy advisers can assess whether sensitive data published online can be removed.