You've been there. You've been dumped. You know the snotty sobs, the deluge of “drunk” texts, the shit soundtrack – it's all part of the package. And unfortunately, with the existence of social media, that package is probably heavier, and harder to haul, than ever. After all, now it's weighed down with a heap of daily Facebook reminders and secret Instagram stalking sessions – which can't be good for anyone's mental wellbeing.

Aside from going full-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and erasing all the painful memories you have (which science is currently working on btw) there are other ways to pick up the shards of your shattered heart. Internet giant Google is now officially aware of your issues, and has come up with a new way of helping you out. Namely, by wiping away all the faces that bring you pain. 

According to a Google+ post published this week, the company has developed powerful facial recognition technology that lets you “hide a person from appearing” on your account. This is mainly to use with the new “Rediscover” app on Google Pictures, which lets you look back at “what you did a year ago, or two, or even 10 years ago” – much like Facebooks' memories feature. Unlike the latter, though, this will work automatically by storing away photos it can see unwanted faces in – so you don't need to worry about any untagged ones slipping under the radar.

The implications of this new development are stronger, too: Google is now able to recognise your ex's face. So, surely it can't be long before they're able to erase them from your internet experience entirely. This is the most powerful digital company in the world we're talking about, after all.