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If you search for "Calculus Programmer" on Google (nothing to do with the user, just a reference point), here's what you'll get:

enter image description here

There are the four links - MSE, Phy.SE, Chem.SE, SO. Notice that three of these four links point to deleted profiles!

Isn't this a bug? For example, if I am a user and wish to delete my account and association with a Stackexchange site, I wouldn't wish to be searchable by my username after the deletion. In fact, I certainly wouldn't want to have my description and location displayed so prominently on Google SERP.

Is there a way for SE Dev Team to fix this from their side?

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  • 3
    Pretty sure that its not something SE can control. It'll probably age away outside caches after a while?
    – Journeyman Geek
    Commented Mar 18, 2018 at 11:19
  • @JourneymanGeek Well, I don't know how search indexing works. It was just an issue that hadn't been raised before on this site, so I raised it. If you think caching aging away is the answer, kindly post it. Thanks! ^_^
    – Gaurang Tandon
    Commented Mar 18, 2018 at 11:20
  • @GaurangTandon Actually, this topic has kind of been raised on this site. An answer: meta.stackexchange.com/a/197546/204841
    – user204841
    Commented Mar 18, 2018 at 11:27
  • @ModusTollens When I searched for "deleted user profiles on Google SERP", I had got zero results. That said, I agree with you that the issue is of the same kind. However, I feel that deleted profiles showing up on Google SERP is an issue of much higher priority than deleted posts showing up. Nevermind.
    – Gaurang Tandon
    Commented Mar 18, 2018 at 11:34
  • The reception of this question suggests that it is very obvious that Google caches are not under control of SE. I am sorry but I did not know this before. All I knew is that there exists a robots.txt file that controls what's indexed and what's not by Google. I apologize if posting a bug report based on incorrect knowledge is wrong. But, I did not wish to refrain from posting a bug report just because I didn't know how the site searching works. I was hoping this bug report might be of help, but unfortunately it isn't. I'm sorry for that.
    – Gaurang Tandon
    Commented Mar 18, 2018 at 12:24
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    No need to be sorry, the downvotes mean people disagree with this being a bug, and with the request to fix it on SE side. They are not personal, and please don't take them as such. Rep-wise, the loss is minor, single answer upvote will compensate for all 5 downvotes. :)
    – Shadow Wizard
    Commented Mar 18, 2018 at 18:53

1 Answer 1

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Currently, Stack Exchange does not own Google.

Hence, Stack Exchange can't control Google and their actions.

What you describe is known as "Google Cache", meaning cached search results, and it's 100% under Google's responsibility, 0% under Stack Exchange responsibility.

This is not a bug in Stack Exchange.

For example, if I am a user and wish to delete my account and association with a Stackexchange site, I wouldn't wish to be searchable by my username after the deletion

True, but it's not Stack Exchange fault. One should know that once they post something on a public website, this will exist forever, as anyone can also copy this and save on their personal computers, not only Google cache. If you're really afraid something will harm you in the future, don't write it to begin with.

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