Problem guide · Last reviewed 12 October 2026
Old news stories about you
An old article is the most common reason people Google themselves and wince. You can’t make a publisher change it. What you can do is ask the right person for one specific thing, in the right order, with the evidence to back it up.
The short version
Ask the publisher to update the story, then ask Google to catch up. The publisher decides the page. Google decides the search result. The free check gives you the plan for your situation and your country, with a letter you can edit.
Start this plan About two minutes · Free · Nothing you type is sent to us
Who decides
The publisher decides what’s on the page. Google decides what shows in search, and only updates once the page changes.
Time
About 30 minutes of your time. Allow 2 to 6 weeks for replies. Some publishers take longer, and some don’t reply.
Do these in order. Google’s refresh tool only works once the article has actually changed. Asking Google first, while the story is the same, will usually be turned down.
The plan, in outline
Save your evidence
- The link, headline and date
- A screenshot with today’s date showing
- The words you searched when you found it
- Proof of what happened next, like a court outcome or letter
Decide what to ask for
You can ask for more than one thing. Start with what matters most to you. Smaller asks are more often agreed to.
- Add an update about what happened next
- Correct what’s wrong
- Remove or change my name
- Stop the page showing in search engines
- Take it down
Send your letter to the publisher
Wait, then follow up
If there’s no reply after 14 days, send a short, polite follow-up. Your tracker will show it as due.
Once the page changes, ask Google to refresh it
Paste the same link. Google rechecks the live page and may update the result, or drop it if the page or the words are gone.
Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool (opens in a new tab)How Google’s refresh tool works (opens in a new tab)
If the answer is no
- If the publisher belongs to the Australian Press Council, you can complain there once you’ve tried the publisher. Australian Press Council complaints (opens in a new tab)
- If it was a TV or radio story, complain to the broadcaster first, then to ACMA. ACMA complaints (TV and radio) (opens in a new tab)
- Australia’s privacy law generally doesn’t cover news reporting by media organisations, so a privacy complaint usually won’t fit a news story.
- If the story is untrue and harming you, talk to a lawyer soon. Defamation claims in Australia generally have to be started within a year of publication.
- If the answer is no, write down what they said and the date. A clear “no” is still an outcome, and it tells you what to try next.
Official links last checked 12 October 2026.