You have right to be forgotten by Google - but only in Europe
US tech titan wins case that pitted privacy rights against freedom of speech
US tech titan wins case that pitted privacy rights against freedom of speech. PHOTO: REUTERS
LUXEMBOURG:
If you want your past to be forgotten on the internet, it might be best to move to Europe. Google will not have to apply Europe's "right to be forgotten" law globally, the continent's top court ruled on Tuesday in a landmark case that has pitted personal privacy rights against freedom of speech.
The victory for the US tech titan means that, while it must remove links to sensitive personal data from its internet search results in Europe when required, it does not have to scrap them from searches elsewhere in the world.
The case has been viewed as a landmark test, in an age of an internet that knows no borders, of whether people can demand a blanket removal of information about themselves from searches without stifling free speech and legitimate public interest.
It has also been seen by policymakers and companies around the world as a test of whether the European Union can extend its laws beyond its own territory. The ruling, which applies to all search engines, is a rare positive news for a tech sector under intense official scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic over their dominant positions and gathering of vast amounts of data.
In its judgement, the Court of Justice of the European Union said the right to have personal data protected was not an absolute right. "The balance between the right to privacy and the protection of personal data, on the one hand, and the freedom of information of internet users, on the other, is likely to vary significantly around the world," it added.
Google welcomed the decision, saying "it's good to see that the court agreed with our arguments."
The world's predominant internet search engine has previously warned of the dangers of overreach by Europe. In a blog post two years ago, it said there should be a balance between sensitive personal data and the public interest and no country should be able to impose rules on citizens of another.
The right to be forgotten was enshrined by the same European court in 2014 when it ruled that people could ask search engines like Google to remove inadequate or irrelevant information from web results appearing under searches for their names.
Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, says it has since received 845,501 requests to remove links, and removed 45% of the 3.3 million links it was asked to scrap.
If you want your past to be forgotten on the internet, it might be best to move to Europe. Google will not have to apply Europe's "right to be forgotten" law globally, the continent's top court ruled on Tuesday in a landmark case that has pitted personal privacy rights against freedom of speech.
The victory for the US tech titan means that, while it must remove links to sensitive personal data from its internet search results in Europe when required, it does not have to scrap them from searches elsewhere in the world.
The case has been viewed as a landmark test, in an age of an internet that knows no borders, of whether people can demand a blanket removal of information about themselves from searches without stifling free speech and legitimate public interest.
It has also been seen by policymakers and companies around the world as a test of whether the European Union can extend its laws beyond its own territory. The ruling, which applies to all search engines, is a rare positive news for a tech sector under intense official scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic over their dominant positions and gathering of vast amounts of data.
In its judgement, the Court of Justice of the European Union said the right to have personal data protected was not an absolute right. "The balance between the right to privacy and the protection of personal data, on the one hand, and the freedom of information of internet users, on the other, is likely to vary significantly around the world," it added.
Google welcomed the decision, saying "it's good to see that the court agreed with our arguments."
The world's predominant internet search engine has previously warned of the dangers of overreach by Europe. In a blog post two years ago, it said there should be a balance between sensitive personal data and the public interest and no country should be able to impose rules on citizens of another.
The right to be forgotten was enshrined by the same European court in 2014 when it ruled that people could ask search engines like Google to remove inadequate or irrelevant information from web results appearing under searches for their names.
Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, says it has since received 845,501 requests to remove links, and removed 45% of the 3.3 million links it was asked to scrap.