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Google must delete your data if you ask, orders judge in landmark case

An EU court has ruled that a person can request certain information to be removed from search engines if “the data appears to be inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant.”

PEOPLE LIVING IN the EU can request certain information to be removed from search engines if it’s no longer relevant, according to a new ruling.

The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) found that under certain conditions, a person can request certain information to be erased if “the data appear to be inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant.”

The “right to be forgotten”, which was proposed in 2012, would require search engines to edit some searches so they comply with the EU’s stance on the protection of personal data.

The case in question involved a Spanish national, Mario Costeja González, who lodged a complaint against a daily newspaper, La Vanduardia, and against Google Spain and Google about the top search results for his name.

The list of results displayed included links to two pages of La Vanguardia’s newspaper of January and March 1998, which contained an announcement for a real-estate auction organised following attachment proceeding for the recovery of social security debts owned by González.

He stated that the proceedings concerning him had been resolved for a number of  years and that references to them was no longer relevant.

While the complaint against La Vanguardia was rejected, because the information in question was lawfully published, the complaint against Google Spain and Google was upheld.

If, following a search made on the basis of a person’s name, the list of results displays a link to a web page which contains information on the person in question, that data subject may approach the operator directly and, where the operator does not grant his request, bring the matter before the competent authorities in order to obtain, under certain conditions, the removal of that link from the list of results.

A number of similar cases have been made in Spain who complainants want Google to delete their personal information from their search results. The company has said that forcing it to remove such data amounts to censorship.

Read: The Data Protection Commissioner is very worried about the new postcode system. Here’s why… >

Read: Twitter rolls out mute button so you can silence those who annoy you >

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17 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute cosmological
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    May 13th 2014, 11:29 AM

    This I like.

    151
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    Mute David Burke
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    May 13th 2014, 1:08 PM

    It’s actually a daft ruling. This isn’t about google collecting your data.

    It’s a newspaper article which was printed about a house being sold because the man in Spain defrauded the government. He wanted the result removed when you search his name.

    It’s pure censorship and technically could mean libraries indexing their newspapers could be forced to stop.

    22
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    Mute Francis Giuseppe Glynn
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    May 13th 2014, 11:36 AM

    They should also apply this to social media like Facebook & Twitter.

    53
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    Mute P O' Neill
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    May 13th 2014, 11:32 AM

    A good step!

    53
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    Mute Bobby Moore
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    May 13th 2014, 11:45 AM

    I’m guessing Denis O’B will be looking to get any info from the Moriarty tribunal removed so.

    46
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    Mute Cpm
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    May 13th 2014, 11:37 AM

    “The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) found that under certain conditions, a person can request certain information to be erased if “the data appear to be inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant.””

    Who decides if the data is inadequate or irrelevant though?

    ” irrelevant or no longer relevant.””

    huh?

    40
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    Mute Dave Gorman
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    May 13th 2014, 11:54 AM

    “Ireland’s bailout and property crash”

    No Longer Relevant, signed E Kenny

    45
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    Mute Jason Bourne
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    May 13th 2014, 11:59 AM

    If the search passes through google’s US sites, then the EU has no clout.
    Google will probably just remove the stuff from google.es

    Even this post will take up a little space on the US data center.

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    Mute Frank
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    May 13th 2014, 12:14 PM

    Indeed.

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    Mute Frank
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    May 13th 2014, 11:58 AM
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    Mute Bob Mc Dermott
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    May 13th 2014, 11:35 AM

    And you can take their word for it?

    9
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    Mute Adam Murphy
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    May 13th 2014, 11:37 AM

    No, you can see for yourself by searching :)

    34
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    Mute James Murphy
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    May 13th 2014, 11:44 AM

    This is only right too

    9
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    Mute Brian Corcoran
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    May 13th 2014, 11:56 AM

    I don’t really understand this, *googles opinion”

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    Mute Wesley Eccles
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    May 13th 2014, 12:58 PM

    Good

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    May 13th 2014, 1:18 PM

    When PULSE has been used as a tool to “set up” innocent people (per Maurice McCabe) can we expect our new Minister for Justice to act on foot of this judgement?
    Permanent suspicion is dangerous, and isn’t really an effective use of leading systems. We need to take a lot more care of how our State keeps tabs on us.

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    Mute Paddy Hannigan
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    May 13th 2014, 5:32 PM

    Talk about your basic internet fail. Google, yahoo ect do not keep the internet in a box at company HQ. Besides because companies such as Amazon pay the likes of Google to give favourable positions to their links ,nobody really uses main stream search engines to find detailed info anymore.

    1
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