Google has to remove outdated info now?

I'm not sure what this will do for SEO and Google's future, but apparently the European Court ruled against it and said it had to remove outdated/false information about people from its index. Basically, links to irrelevant or outdated information should be removed on request.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27388289

This came after a Spanish man sued after information about a past notice of his repossessed home in Google infringed his privacy.

What's this mean for the internet and search engines as a whole? Could this right to privacy stuff potentially mean Google has to censor itself in all regions? And does this give people a way to theoretically wipe out 'unfair' criticism of themselves or their businesses from Google's search listings?

 

This was a case were the information displayed was no longer relevant. It does not mean that users have a right to be forgotten.
California teens do have the right to be forgotten: http://www.paulhastings.com/publica...nia-Gives-its-Teens-the-Right-to-Be-Forgotten
@BamaStangGuy The above article makes me glad my site is not in California. Cali includes Silicon Valley.
I do hope that the EU will not be stupid enough to give everyone the right to be forgotten, because that will make it very hard to protect against all kinds of abuse. But after the EU's idiotic implementation of their cookie directive (which can only die by its stupidity) I do not have much hope for an intelligent outcome.

 

You won't ever get intelligent, well thought our legislation from the EU, they just keep on coming up with this sort of rubbish.

This is just one of the reasons why, here in the UK, increasing numbers of people are demanding a referendum on the UK leaving the EU.

 

Don't know, was reading about the guy who lost his house, what, over 5 years ago and it's still listed in google search. Think there are cases when a person should have the right to demand it be removed from their search engine, as it can affect a person going for a job or whatever else. Is there any need 5 years on, to still have that indexed about him in google search.

 

Wrong target. Search engines merely (in theory) just report what's on the web.
Such people should target the site concerned and request they remove it.

 

I can sort of see why this might theoretically be useful. For instance, someone targeted by Enyclopedia Dramatica or 4chan might like the ability to get all the stuff on their personal life nuked from Google's search engine. Might help to finally kill such groups off for good given that they could be completely wiped out of Google (and other search engines) indexes.

On the other hand, some of the examples of people who do want their info removed are a tad disturbing:

http://marketingland.com/10-people-want-forgotten-google-83853

The above link names a convicted pedophile, a cyber stalker, a former politician, an attempted murderer and a tax dodger. All of whom... well, are perhaps not the best examples of individuals whose past should be forgotten... And that's not even considering what the likes of Internet Brands, EIG or perhaps PublishAmerica might want from this sort of deal... Or what certain corrupt politicans and somewhat extremist political parties might want to hide...

But yeah, I'm conflicted. Do we really want to let people hold a grudge for eternity or constantly judge us based on behaviour that was decades ago?

 

The stupidity of the people that make these judgements defies belief.

Here is a link to a press release from the Courts of Justice of the European Union: http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2014-05/cp140070en.pdf

Within that document it states...

I found this court press release detailing the very information Mr Costeja González wanted removing from Google via... you've guess it, Google! And now this oh so private information is all over the Internet. As a wise man once said, 'stupid is as stupid does'.

 

Its called "Streisand effect" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect we can add this on to that page.

 

I remember that well.