View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
September 4, 2014

Mail Online reports four more Google ‘right to be forgotten’ removals – stories on Josef Fritzl, Tory MP and Prince William schoolfriend affected

By William Turvill

Another four Mail Online stories have been affected by 'right to be forgotten' requests.

The website reported last month that nine of its stories had had links removed to them on certain Google search terms.

And last week Press Gazette reported that the BBC and Telegraph websites have had 12 stories each affected by requests.

The ‘right to be forgotten’ requests mean that links are removed from certain search terms on EU Google sites.

So, for instance, when a person's name is searched, Google says: “Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe”.

One of the latest affected Mail Online stories is about Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who kept his daughter in a cellar for 24 years.

A story about Tory MP Jonathan Djanogly, who admitted to hiring private detectives to spy on local party members, has also been affected. The Mail reports that the MP denied making the ‘right to be forgotten’ request himself.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

The other two stories reported on were Richard Kay diary articles about a schoolfriend of Prince William, Edward Stanbury.

The original 'right to be forgotten' ruling was passed in the EU Court of Justice in mid-May, allowing individuals to force the removal of links to website articles.

At the end of the month, Google introduced an online form where requests could be made.

In July, Google admitted that it had made 'right to be forgotten' removal mistakes, and that some stories had been reinstated. It also revealed that it was receiving 1,000 take-down requests a day.

Topics in this article : , ,

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network