Google is rolling out a new feature for its Indian users that lets them create virtual visiting cards on the Search mobile app. Called ‘Google People Cards’, it is a feature that seems helpful for influencers, entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, freelancers, or anyone else who wants to be easily discovered online.
As per Google, this feature is rolling out for Indian users because of their “affinity to search their own names”. To create a people card, you will first need to sign into your Google account on your mobile phone. Once signed in, you can look up your name on Google Search, or search the term "add me to search".
A small prompt will open up with a "Get Started" button. Choosing it will open up a form where you can fill in a bio, display photo, website links, social media profiles, phone number, work or home address, education details, email address and more. You can choose the amount of personal data you are comfortable sharing. But Google says that more data a user provides, the easier it will be to find them on Google Search.
For those worried about their private data being misused, Lauren Clark, Product Manager, Google Search writes:
We have a number of mechanisms to protect against abusive or spammy content, and if you come across low quality information or a card that you believe was created by an impersonator, you can tap the feedback link to let us know. If you no longer want your people card to appear in Search, you can delete it at any time.
This is Google’s latest attempt at giving Search more capabilities thereby reducing users’ dependence on other services. Google People Cards is rolling out to mobile phone users in India today, and currently only supports the English language.