Have you ever searched Google for yourself and found incorrect or outdated information?
It may be ancient history and no longer reflect who you are today, but it still features prominently in Google’s search results.
Everyone makes mistakes. Should a person be penalized for indexing a site on search engines like Google in a few years or decades?
Some countries, including the European Union, support the protection of the “right to be forgotten”. (RTBF)
This is a person’s ability to request that Google index pages that reference their name or specific events related to them.
The information is still on the original site, but it won’t appear in Google’s index, so it’s unlikely to be seen.
Google recently released a video drawing attention to the law, along with step-by-step instructions on how to request removal of content under the right to be forgotten.
Here’s more about RTBF, along with key highlights from Google Video.
What constitutes a “right to be forgotten”?
The exact laws that support RTBF vary from country to country, but the concept is that personal information about an individual can be removed from search results under certain conditions.
For example, a person commits a crime, is convicted and serves a sentence. Decades later, they wanted to apply for jobs, but internet searches revealed arrests. Employers pass on potential employees to them even if they have lived a legal life since then.
There is a conflict between the right to privacy and freedom of speech. In 2014, a judge in the European Union reportedly set a precedent when a Spanish lawyer wanted to de-index websites involving previous debts. Middle Tennessee State University.
There are many reasons why a person might want to delete a search page, including scandal, embarrassment, bad judgment, etc., or anything that might prevent them from living a normal life.
The UK’s Rehabilitation of Offenders Act states that a criminal conviction should not be considered after a certain time frame of conditions such as employment and insurance.Transparency and freedom of speech reign supreme in America, but in America EU RTBF is a human right.
The following criteria are used to determine whether a request is RBTF-eligible:
- Is the information accurate?
- Is there insufficient information?
- Is the information irrelevant?
- Is there too much information?
- Is it in the public interest to provide information?
How to delete information
If RTBF is allowed in your country, someone can ask Google to remove certain pages, such as names, for specific search queries. That doesn’t mean these pages won’t appear in other search queries.
The US does not recognize the “right to be forgotten” because it interferes with First Amendment rights and free speech.
If a person has created the content, they cannot apply for removal. If someone creates a website or social media account, they can change security settings or delete the website. The site must be from another party, such as a news organization.
The first step is to visit g.co/legal and select Google Search. You must provide evidence that you are the person involved with these pages.
Check Personal Information and “Right to Be Forgotten” for reasons for deletion. Fill in all required information, including website address, personal information, and specific search queries. The more information available, the better decisions Google can make.
Google will send you an email confirming that they received the request, and the decision process begins. The process is not automated, and at least one reviewer reviews the request, but the time it takes to make a decision depends on the request.
The big question is how the request balances the public interest with the right to privacy. For example, if a major public figure involved in a scandal wanted to remove a website, the outcome would be negative due to public interest and information.
Other factors include:
- role in public life
- Where does the information come from
- How old is it?
- Private issues
If the request is approved, the URL will only be removed from the relevant country. If someone from the EU asks to remove a URL, Google will remove it from the list of EU countries, but not the US or other countries.
If the request is denied, the person can appeal to the country’s data privacy authority.
Abuse of RBTF
Reputation management is big business and not everyone is using RTBF. There are attempts to make multiple requests from different angles to increase the chances of approval.
Businesses that received negative reviews also attempted to remove these URLs, but these were often unsuccessful.
What if you are in the US or another non-RBTF country?
Google does allow people to make requests in the US, but petitioners must state which laws allow them to remove URLs. Victims of revenge porn in the United States have some protections. Generally speaking, there is very little you can do when removing a page in a non-RBTF company.
It’s still a hot issue, and lawmakers continue to debate the legality of information privacy, so that could change in the future.
Featured Image: Ascannio/Shutterstock
