[x-pubpol] Google picks holes in EU's 'right to be forgotten'

[Joly MacFie]

*Google has complained that the terms of Europe's proposed 'right to be
forgotten' make unreasonable demands on search engines and hosting
platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.*

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2012/02/17/google-picks-holes-in-eus-right-to-be-forgotten-40095071/



The right to be forgotten is covered by a key rule in the European
Commission's long-awaited Data Protection
regulation<http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-management/2012/01/25/firms-face-tough-new-eu-fines-for-data-breaches-40094907/>,
which it proposed last month. It would allow people to get theorganisations
that handle their personal
data<http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security/2010/11/05/britons-to-gain-right-to-be-forgotten-40090769/>,
such as the photographs they post to social-networking sites, to delete it
when asked to do so.The search giant set out its argument in a blog
post<http://googlepolicyeurope.blogspot.com/2012/02/our-thoughts-on-right-to-be-forgotten.html>
on
Thursday, in which global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer said Google
supports the principles behind the right, but wants it to be implemented
"in a way that not only enhances privacy online, but also fosters free
expression for all".

Fleischer suggested the regulation does not take into account the
distinction between hosting platforms and search engines, nor the nuances
of both.

"Responsibility for deleting content published online should lie with the
person or entity who published it," he said in the blog post. "Host
providers store this information on behalf of the content provider and so
have no original right to delete the data. Similarly, search engines index
any publicly available information to make it searchable. They too have no
direct relationship with the original content."

In recent weeks, Google has crossed swords with EU officials over its revamped
privacy policy<http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/web-apps/2012/01/25/google-no-opt-out-of-mix-and-match-data-40094905/>,
which is set to be applied in March. Under the revamp, people will not be
able to opt out of having their data shared across Google's services and
products, and then used in targeted advertising.

The result — an integrated user identity across Google — has implications
for the right to be forgotten and other privacy issues. EU officials have
asked Google to hold off from implementing the policy
refresh<http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/web-apps/2012/02/06/eu-calls-time-out-on-google-privacy-change-40094980/>
until
they have had time to assess it, but the company has refused.


-- 
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