Google Set To Remove Search Results In Response To EU 'Right To Be Forgotten' Ruling

Europeans are now one step closer to exercising the "right to be forgotten" on the Internet.

According to a report by the New York Times, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is set to remove search results and links from its website for European citizens who request it. This comes in response to a decision made by the European Union Court of Justice that requires search engines to take user requests to remove links believed to violate their online privacy.

In May, Mountain View, California-based Google Inc. began facilitating the process through a simple online form in preparation for the online privacy sweep.

Among detractors, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales spoke to International Business Times U.K. in London in May about the decision by the EU Court of Justice.

"I think the ruling is ridiculous; I think it has highlighted a real flaw in the European privacy law, which is older than the Internet in many ways," Wales said.

Since Google launched the search-results removal request form in May, over 50,000 removal requests have been received by the company, according to the New York Times. Politicians, actors and convicted cyberstalkers are said to be among the people requesting Google to remove links from the search engine.

The tech titan decides whether or not to comply with each individual request, but rejected requests may be appealed through European regulators, who have the final say in how Google should comply with the EU Court of Justice’s ruling.

Google is expected to start removing results starting at the end of June, according to the Guardian.