Brussels, 30/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Google is taking steps to redeem itself following the ruling returned by the Court of Justice in mid-May, in favour of the right to be forgotten on the internet (see EUROPE 11078), with its launch, on Thursday 29 May, of an online service for European citizens wishing to have search results they deem inappropriate deleted. Internet users will be able to fill out a form (supplying their personal data, and including a copy of their proof of identity) and provide details of the links which they feel are “irrelevant, outdated or otherwise inappropriate”. Google, the search engine used for 90% of online requests, has not specified when these links will be taken down or what criteria will be used for the assessment. On its website, Google explains that this form has been launched in Europe “to comply with the recent ruling of the European Court”.
“According to a recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, certain users are entitled to ask search engines to delete search results which include their name, as long as the said results are 'irrelevant, outdated or excessive in regard to the purposes of processing'”. In the framework of the application of this decision, “we will assess each individual request and will try to strike a fair balance between protecting the privacy of individuals and the right of the public to access and distribute this information”, Google states.
La CJEU took the view that, under certain conditions, individuals could have links to webpages containing personal details removed but stated that this option should not be systematic. Google is the subject of several court actions in the member states over its shortcomings in terms of respecting the privacy of Europeans. It was recently ordered to pay an admittedly modest fine of €150,000 in France over this issue.
European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding reacted on her website to this announcement by Google: “It is a good development that Google has announced that it will finally take the necessary measures to respect European law. It was about time since European data protection laws exist since 1995. It took the European Court of Justice to say so. The right to be forgotten and the right to free information are not foes but friends”. (SP)