Google implements personal-data link removal, helps internet forget you

Google has finally complied with an EU ruling that users should be able to have links to personal information removed from Google listings.

The pages themselves won’t be removed – these could obviously span many different websites, making that rather difficult – but by removing them from Google it becomes much easier for those that have compromising information about them on the web to make that content hard to find.

Those that would like to have content removed must apply using this search removal form where applicants must provide reasons why the pages are “irrelevant, outdated, or… inappropriate” and they must provide proof of ID such as a driving license. 

If your submission is accepted, Google will remove the link from its searches and replace them with a notice similar to those it uses for takedowns.

Google was not happy about the ruling, stating that it went too far by sacrificing the public’s right to know for the right to privacy.

The company is also in the process of setting up a committee to evaluate requests with luminaries like Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales.

For those outside the EU, this ruling does not apply.