How To Use Google’s “Right To Be Forgotten” Tool

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Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has launched a new “right to be forgotten” tool which will allow European users to remove their personal details from Google’s search index. This new tool comes after the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union earlier in May, where the court decided that search engines must respect such removal requests.

However, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has set up some potentially confusing requirements for link expungement. According to the Court of Justice of the European Union, links should be removed if they are “inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant, or excessive in relation to the purposes for which they were processed.”

Google will assess each request before deciding on whether or not to accept the request. Here’s what Google has to say regarding this:

We will assess each individual request and attempt to balance the privacy rights of the individual with the public’s right to know and distribute information. When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there’s a public interest in the information—for example, information about financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, or public conduct of government officials.

How to remove yourself from Google

So if you’re ready to use this new tool, then head over to this link and fill out the form. Note that you need to carefully complete the form. There’s also a field for which URL you want Google to remove from search results, with the question regarding why you want to remove the link from Google.

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Finally, in order to submit a search removal request under European Data Protection law, Google also needs to confirm your identity. In order to conform your identity, you’ll need a copy of a valid form of photo ID.

As has already been mentioned, the decision whether to remove your personal information ultimately rests in the hands of Google. Filling out this form does not guarantee anything. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has stated that they’re still working on the process, and they will notify you when they start processing your request.

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