According to a decision made on Thursday by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Google must erase information from its online search results if a user can substantiate its accuracy. For privacy and free speech advocates who have been fighting for the ‘right to be forgotten’ of individuals online, this was a significant victory.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in its decision that the operator of a search engine must remove references to information discovered in linked content where the individual requesting the removal shows that the information is obviously false, according to the Associated Press.
There have been demands from various groups about the removal of any trace of their online presence but the judgement will help them in strengthening their case from a factual standpoint. The decision came in a case concerning two investment company executives who wanted Google to remove certain articles about their investment model – information that they proved to be ‘incorrect.’
The thumbnails of the relevant news stories will also need to be modified as part of the ruling to remove any references to the two people. Although Google had initially rejected the request, the ruling is viewed as striking a balance between the right to be forgotten and the freedom of speech.
Following the ruling, Google stated that the thumbnails had already been removed and the remaining ruling would be enforced over the next few days by all relevant search engines.
A spokeswoman stated, ‘Since 2014, we’ve worked diligently to implement the right to be forgotten in Europe and to strike a fair balance between people’s rights of access to information and privacy.’
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