Google has launched a service that lets European users to ask for personal information to be deleted from the search engine.
The move comes after a European Union court ruling gave people the ‘right to be forgotten’. It said outdated and “irrelevant” should be removed when requested.
On the ‘right to forget’ form, Google says: “When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there’s a public interest in the information.”
Google said it will look at requests relating to “financial scams, professional malpractice, criminal convictions, or public conduct of government officials”.
The web giant said it will assess each request and balance “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“When evaluating your request, we will look at whether the results include outdated information about you, as well as whether there’s a public interest in the information,” Google says on the form which applicants must fill in.
Each applicant will need to provide links to the material they want removed, their country of origin, and a reason for their request. Individuals will also have to attach a valid photo identity.
View a sample of the form below:
The initial case was brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home, which appeared on Google’s search results, infringed his privacy.
Since the ruling a number of people have come forward to ask for historical inforamtio to be removed.
The BBC reported that the search giant has received requests from an ex-politician seeking re-election has asked to have links to an article about his behaviour in office removed.
A man convicted of possessing child abuse images has requested links to pages about his conviction to be wiped and a doctor wants negative reviews from patients removed from the results.
View the form here
