Google to let people track and report more personal information

People will soon be able to track through Google the appearance online of personal information often used in identity theft.

The company said that it would be expanding its "results about you" feature to include monitoring of passport information, as well as driver's license and Social Security numbers.

If such information shows up online, a person can request that Google remove any relevant web links from search results.

Such monitoring on Google is currently limited to a person's name, home and email address and phone number.

In a post to its corporate blog on Tuesday Google said it will be expanding the tool in the coming days, starting only in the US. Eventually it will be available in "additional regions."

However, in order to let Google monitor the appearance of such information, a person has to first register with the company the specific information associated with any personal identification one would like to track.

To monitor the appearance of a person's driver's license online, for instance, Google will require that a person register with Google their license number.

Google said in the blog post that the "results about you" tool "employs Google's rigorous security protocols and advanced encryption to prevent misuse and ensure your privacy."

Identity theft in the US continued to grow over last year, with more than 1.1 million cases reported to the Federal Trade Commission.

The most common form of identity fraud is through credit cards, whereby people's personal information is used to make purchases or open new credit accounts.

Close behind credit cards are forms of identity theft whereby people use another person's information for employment, medical care, or access to government benefits.