Google’s AI policy says it restricts personal information such as addresses from its AI summaries - but Ann Widdecombe’s Haytor address was spelled out in full
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At 3.30pm on Friday afternoon, I had just joined The Independent’s afternoon news conference call.
We meet daily to discuss the front page and leader column for our Daily Edition and I fully expected we would be preparing for a full page tribute to Ann Widdecombe, after it had emerged that morning that she had tragically died at the age of 78.
Instead, I joined the call to discover our news team had started to hear rumours that a police investigation had been launched into her death.
At that point, it was unconfirmed. But I knew she had a house on Dartmoor and I happen to live just 15 minutes from the edge of the moor. I Googled ‘Ann Widdecombe address’. I immediately found a story from DevonLive, in which she talked about naming her house in Haytor Vale ‘Widdecombe’s Rest’. I figured it couldn't be hard to find.
But just in case, I thought I'd try my luck at getting a postcode. And so I googled again: ‘Widdecombe’s Rest Haytor address’ (it actually came out as ‘widdevo.bes rest haytor address’ as I was halfway out the door and not typing properly).
To my surprise, the full address came up instantly in a Google AI Overview.
*‘“Widdecombe's Rest" is the well-known private residence of the late former MP and television personality Ann Widdecombe. The exact address details for this private Dartmoor property are: *Widdecombe's Rest, Road Past Rock Inn, Haytor Vale, Newton Abbot, DevonTQ13 9XT.
If you are planning a trip to Dartmoor, would you like me to help you find nearby accommodation (like the nearby The Rock Inn or The Moorland Hotel), local cafes, or hiking routes starting from Haytor?’
It had taken me precisely nine seconds to find the full address of a well-known politician and television personality. It wasn't even hidden in a search result on a web page, but instead surfaced directly on Google’s search page.
Google launched AI Overviews in the UK in August 2024. They are AI-generated summaries of search results pages designed to answer complex queries quickly. Google says that it omits certain topics from AI Overviews, including sensitive personal information such as private medical records and home addresses.
But clearly that was not the case for Ann Widdecombe. After being approached by* The Independent,* Google says it is looking into what is an apparent breach of its own policy.
The former Tory politician, Strictly Come Dancing star and Reform spokesperson was a public figure who enjoyed being outspoken. She made no secret of her home, opening it up to friends, family, colleagues and even the odd journalist over the years.
Days before her death, an episode of Celebrity Yorkshire House was aired on Quest after she had invited cameras into her bungalow in 2022.
Ms Widdecombe was found dead in her home on Thursday, July 9. Devon and Cornwall Police launched a murder investigation and arrested a 28-year-old man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
The investigation into her death has now been passed over to Counter Terror Police, who are treating the incident as an act of terrorism. It has raised questions about the security of MPs, with Reform UK claiming that the security of its MPs was being neglected.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has offered Reform leader Nigel Farage a meeting with the chair of the independent body within the Home Office that manages the security of those in public life.
Google has now removed the AI Overview spelling out Ms Widdecombe’s address.