Google Gives Users Right to be Forgotten

Google has created an online form for European users who request the company to erase their names from search results, according to the Inquirer.

The action comes in response to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision to support the so-called Ëœright to be forgotten’ that obliges search firms to remove links related to people who consider them irrelevant, outdated or inappropriate.

“We will assess each individual request and attempt to balance the privacy rights of the individual with the public`s right to know and distribute information”, Google announced. “When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there’s a public interest in the information – for example, information about financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, or public conduct of government officials.”

To evaluate the request together with data protection authorities, Google asks plaintiffs to identify themselves by submitting a photo ID or driver`s license, their name, email address, the URL(s) they want removed, and to demonstrate how the information affects them or the people they`re acting on behalf of. These measures are meant to prevent people from impersonating others to harm them, even for commercial purposes.

It appears the search company received around 1,000 demands since the decision was made public.