In Europe, Google has implemented a ‘right to be forgotten’ service. What is that?
Google will delete countless links from it’s search engine. In May 2014, the European Union’s top court granted Europeans the right to request Google and other search engines remove information about them. So that when someone types their name up, that information will not exist. In the two months that followed, so far, Google has received 91,000 request throughout the continent, removing over 328,000 websites and URLs. Not all requests have been acted upon, but they will be. Microsoft has been watching this ruling close. Some European leaders are calling for even stricter privacy rights laws. But not all embrace the right to be forgotten. One UK group called Society of Editors believes this will lead to censorship and even kill freedom of speech throughout Europe.
Why do I even bring this up? First off, someone in Europe may read this. Second off, the right to be forgotten could be a trend throughout the world. Privacy rights vs. technology has been a hot button issue here in the United States and other nations for years. So the condition is just ripe for this ruling to come to other continents. Will right to be forgotten be embraced in the US? Maybe. I can think of many who would sign up for it. My only concern would be if a criminal or predator sign up for it and ask for his records to be removed from search engine sites. Then you’d have no way to conduct criminal background checks. Other than that, I would have no problem with right to be forgotten. If this came to the US, would you sign up for it?