Europe’s highest court has ruled this week that people should be able to ask Google to erase information about them that they want to be forgotten from the search engine’s results, even if that information is published on third party sites.
"If, following a search made on the basis of a person’s name, the list of results displays a link to a web page which contains information on the person in question, that data subject may approach the operator directly and, where the operator does not grant his request, bring the matter before the competent authorities in order to obtain, under certain conditions, the removal of that link from the list of results," said the judges from the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The case, originally sparked by a Spanish national whose information about his repossessed home deleted from Google, has brought contention from internet freedom campaigners but has been heralded as a step forward by privacy advocates.
In light of the new ruling, CBR brings you a list of five people that most probably would like their information deleted from Google search results.
Ex-Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel
Last year, US megastore Target was the victim of a large cyber attack that left customers’ details and credit card information vulnerable.
Earlier this May, Target announced that CEO Gregg Steinhafel was to resign, following the reputational damage done to Target following the data breach. Experts said that his departure was the first major case of a CEO having to leave because of a security breach proving CEOs are now ever more at risk as the blame travels up the chain of command.
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Max Mosley
Back in 2008, former president of the FIA motorsport association Max Mosely was caught up in a media storm after the now defunct News of the World newspaper printed images of him being involved in a reported orgy with five females.
Mosley took the News of the World to court over privacy concerns.
Mosley subsequently took successful legal action in a French court to force Google stop linking to the images.
Scott Thompson
Yodel Anecdotal/Yahoo! Inc.
In 2012, Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson was forced to leave the job after just four months, because he lied on his CV.
Thompson claimed he has a degree in computer science, which he didn’t.
Despite landing a job as CEO of Shoprunner soon after his Yahoo departure, Thompson risks being remembered in tech as the guy who lied on his resume.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
The former head of the International Monetary Fund was set to be tried on charges of pimping last year, finishing off a long inquiry into his infamous sex parties.
Dubbed The Carlton affair, named after a hotel in Lille, the case involved sex parties that Strauss-Kahn had admitted attending.
However, he said he was not aware that the women participating were in fact prostitutes.
In French law, pimping is determined as crime that can encompass aiding or encouraging prostitution. Strauss-Kahn had to quit his role as IMF head in 2011 after accusations of raping a maid in New York. The charge was later dropped. Later still Strass-Kahn settled a civil suit for a reported $1m.
Hans Reiser
Credit: Goran Zec
Hans Reiser was a computer programmer who murdered his wife and then hid the body in the hills.
Resier, head of Namesys software company, was jailed in 2008. He blamed many things as the cause for the murder, including trying to protect his children from his ‘estranged’ wife and claiming he has personality problems because of his geekiness.
….and 5 people (and groups) who won’t want to be forgotten…
1) Edward Snowden is probably happy with his name going down in the history books.
2) John McAffee, infamous security software developer currently residing in Belize, happy to use the Internet to publicise his colourful life and highlight his fight against murder charges.
3) Miley Cyrus
4) Justin Bieber and other serious pop star celebrity artists.
5) Any one of the cast of TOWIE, The Valleys, Geordie Shore, Made In Chelsea, Big Brother – all people who rely on Google for their ‘livelihood.’
