Spanish Data Protection Agency orders Google to remove links

 

The Spanish Data Protection Agency made an unprecedented ruling that Google should remove links on their search engine to material concerning a number of different people. Although the links point to content that was published many years ago, it is still widely and easily available on the net.

Dozens of people in Spain are fighting for the right to remain anonymous on the net and not to have details about them widely publicised across the web. Google has appealed the ruling to the national court - mainly on the grounds that they are not responsible for the content and simply link to material that the author has made available.

In all of the cases brought before the court saw the plaintiff petition the agency to have the information about them taken removed. Spain is supporting the plaintiffs rights to have the links in question removed, with experts watching closely, as any decision could set a troubling precedent by restricting access to public information.