Google Kicks Off 'Right To Be Forgotten' Purge in Europe

Jun 27, 2014 07:53 AM EDT | Jordan Ecarma

Google has begun its great "right to be forgotten" purge from search pages in Europe, something that could take a while.

According to spokesman Al Verney, Google started taking down search results this week, but each request backed by the recent European Union ruling will have to be "assessed individually," USA TODAY reported via the Associated Press.

European users can request that search links be taken down by filling out a form with their name, email address and the links.

An EU court ruled in May that users had the right to ask Google to take down search results for things in their past they wanted to forget.

Mario Consteja Gonzalez of Spain started the case when he wanted to take down a link to a legal notice about the repossession and auction of his home, an unhappy incident from 16 years ago. The lawyer argued that a company carrying information about him should have to take down anything "outdated, wrong or irrelevant" 

The ruling only applies in Europe, so U.S. search results won't be affected.

Google hasn't said how many web links will be part of the change or how many people have requested that a result be removed. The company was receiving around 10,000 requests a day earlier this month, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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