Search and censor

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[Commentary] Since European Union judges commanded Google to respect EU citizens’ “right to be forgotten,” the company has had to field tens of thousands of privacy requests from people who want their Google results cleaned up. The danger is obvious: Google, not to mention other companies, has little business incentive to do the right thing and err on the side of upholding public access to information when possible. It would be simpler and cheaper for Google and others in its business to acquiesce more often, regardless of how this would affect the public record.

So far, the company seems to be conscientiously sorting through requests. But that could change. European requirements, moreover, are more of a barrier to accessing information than a guarantee of privacy, which would require more extensive regulation that would deeply undercut freedom of speech. News and other Web sites do not have to take down their content. Google just has to make it somewhat harder to find. In return for the deeply concerning precedent of Google adjusting its search results according to government dictates, and in return for the damage to the comprehensive nature of search results, Europeans aren’t even gaining all that much.


Search and censor