Sunday Times 2
People can have their pasts erased from Google
More than 6,000 people have asked Google to erase information about their past from search results using the controversial ‘right to be forgotten’.
The EU’s controversial ‘right to be forgotten’, which attacks freedom of speech, has been widely criticised for allowing paedophiles, rapists and murderers attempt to erase information about their past.
In total, members of the EU have sent nearly 500,000 requests for links to be removed to Google (Reuters)
In total, across Europe, Google has received nearly 500,000 requests to remove links. From that, it has removed 170,000 search results.
Google has now published information about the process behind removing embarrassing and inconvenient links.
In a blog written by Jess Hemerly, public policy manager for Google, it says: ‘We believe it’s important to be transparent about how much information we’re removing from search results while being respectful of individuals who have made requests.
‘Releasing this information to the public helps hold us accountable for our process and implementation.
‘We’re also providing some data about the domains that appear most frequently in URLs that individuals ask us to remove.
‘Among these top 10 domains are Facebook, Badoo, and two Google-owned and operated sites, YouTube and Google Groups – both of which have their own mechanisms to request removal of content directly from the platform.’
Google also published a list of anonymous examples of requests they had received.
Requests were made by a UK doctor who botched a procedure, a media professional who had embarrassing content written about them posted online and a clergyman who was investigated in relation to sexual abuse accusations.
Elsewhere, financial professionals asked the internet giant to remove links reporting on their arrests and convictions for financial crimes.
Another request was made by an individual in Italy to remove a link to a copy of an official state document published by a state authority reporting on the acts of fraud committed by the individual.
Alarmingly, a man in the UK successfully made Google take down links relating to a news summary of a local magistrates’ decisions that included his guilty verdict.
The information released by Google follows the revelation this week that a Japanese judge ordered Google to remove search results of a man’s unflattering past in a new ‘right to be forgotten’ order following a landmark ruling in Europe.
The Tokyo District Court on Thursday ordered Google Japan to remove search results that hinted at the man’s relations with a criminal organisation after he complained his privacy rights were violated.
It is unclear whether the case would prompt further requests for information to be removed from websites in Japan.
In the court decision, Judge Nobuyuki Seki said some of the search results ‘infringe personal rights,’ and had harmed the plaintiff. Google spokesman Taj Meadows said the search engine was reviewing the Tokyo court decision.
While the European ruling has no baring on privacy cases in Japan it is a further blow against freedom of speech and a sign of increasing moves by the courts and legislators to allow people to censor their past.
© Daily Mail, London