What is the right to be forgotten and how does it work?

The right to be forgotten, based on UK GDPR Article 17, allows you to request that search engines remove links from their index if the personal data is no longer necessary, processed without consent, or unlawful. However, this right is not absolute and does not apply if the data is needed for freedom of expression, legal compliance, or public interest. It removes the link from search results but does not delete the original content from the source website.

What can I do if Google refuses to remove my information from search results?

If Google refuses your delisting request, you can submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO can investigate the refusal and, if it finds in your favour, issue an enforcement notice requiring Google to comply. The complaint form is available at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint. It is important to note that the delisting route only affects the search index, so you may still need to address the content on the original website separately.

How do I deal with defamatory articles appearing in Google search results?

For defamatory content, you can notify the publisher, issue a defamation claim in the High Court for serious cases, or submit a legal removal request to Google. Google usually delists URLs following a court order but will not act on bare assertions. The primary legal framework is the Defamation Act 2013, which requires that the false statement has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to your reputation. Instructing a media or defamation solicitor is often recommended for these cases.

What are the risks of submitting a removal request to Google?

You must be careful not to submit false or exaggerated claims to Google or the ICO, as this can backfire. If the content is accurate and in the public interest, the information may be retained, and your complaint might draw more attention to it. The correct approach depends on the nature of the content, such as whether it is outdated personal data, defamatory, or a spent criminal conviction. Misidentifying the issue can lead to unsuccessful requests.

Does the right to be forgotten delete the original webpage from the internet?

The right to be forgotten only removes links from Google's search index for searches made in the UK or EU. It does not delete the original content from the internet. The webpage still exists and can be found by entering the direct URL or using other search engines. Therefore, you may need to contact the publisher directly to remove or correct the content at the source for a complete resolution.

← All Scenarios

Online/Privacy

Updated 2026-05-16

UK-wide

What to Do If Google Search Results Are Harming You

Damaging information appearing in Google search results may be removable through the right to be forgotten (UK GDPR delisting), defamation law, or Google's own removal policies. The correct approach depends on the nature of the content.

Time-sensitive — read the legal-basis and first-actions sections before anything else.

This page covers UK-wide law. Where local procedure differs (e.g. courts or tribunals), this is noted in the relevant section.

Quick Answer

Your options depend on what the content is and whether it is accurate. For outdated or irrelevant personal data, use the right to erasure / delisting under UK GDPR Article 17. For defamatory content, pursue the publisher under the Defamation Act 2013 and submit a legal removal request to Google. For court records or crime reports, review-specific procedures apply. Never submit false claims to Google — this can backfire.

Full Explanation

Google search results can cause serious harm to individuals — whether through outdated information, defamatory articles, information about old criminal convictions, or private information they never consented to publish. The legal tools available depend on the nature of the harmful content.

The right to be forgotten (more accurately, the right to erasure and delisting) arises from UK GDPR Article 17 and the Court of Justice of the EU's decision in Google Spain v AEPD [2014] (which, as interpreted into UK law, survives Brexit). It allows individuals to request that search engines like Google delist URLs from search results that index pages containing personal data that is: no longer necessary; processed without consent; or where processing is unlawful. Importantly, the right is not absolute — it does not apply where the data is necessary for the exercise of the right of freedom of expression and information, for compliance with a legal obligation, or for reasons of public interest. In practice, the right most commonly succeeds for spent criminal convictions (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974), old negative news articles that no longer serve a legitimate public interest, and financial information that is no longer current.

Google has its own delisting request process at myaccount.google.com/delete-services-or-account. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) also accepts complaints about Google's refusal to delist, and the ICO can make a formal finding against Google which Google must comply with. The GDPR delisting route applies to the search index — it does not remove content from the underlying website. You may need to address the source website separately.

For defamatory content, the Defamation Act 2013 provides the primary legal framework. If a webpage or article contains a false statement of fact about you that has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to your reputation, you can: notify the publisher (Section 5 defence/Defamation Act procedure); issue a defamation claim in the High Court (for serious cases); and submit a legal request (via a solicitor's letter or Google's legal removal request tool) asking Google to delist the URL pending resolution of the defamation dispute. Google will usually delist URLs following a court order, but will not act on bare assertions of defamation.

Google also has its own content policies that allow removal of: private personal information (such as contact details shared without consent), images shared without consent, doxxing content, and content that violates its SafeSearch policies. These requests are submitted through Google's support portal.

Legal Basis

§UK GDPR Article 17 (right to erasure)
§Data Protection Act 2018
§Google Spain SL v Agencia Española de Protección de Datos [2014] CJEU C-131/12 (right to delisting)
§Defamation Act 2013 (serious harm threshold and publisher defences)

What To Do

Identify the Nature of the Harmful Content

Categorise the content: is it inaccurate (defamatory)? Is it accurate but outdated personal information? Is it private information you never consented to? Is it a spent criminal conviction? Is it intimate images? The answer determines which legal route to use.

Submit a UK GDPR Delisting Request to Google

Use Google's delisting request form at myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy for personal data that is outdated, no longer relevant, or processed without a legal basis. Explain specifically why the data should be delisted, referencing the grounds in UK GDPR Article 17(1). Provide URLs, your identity, and the specific grounds.

Contact the Publisher Directly

In many cases, removing or correcting the content at source (on the website that published it) is more effective than delisting. Write to the website's editor or Data Protection Officer. For defamatory content, a formal legal letter from a solicitor often achieves faster results than a court claim.

Complain to the ICO If Google Refuses

If Google refuses your delisting request and you believe the refusal is unlawful under UK GDPR, submit a complaint to the ICO. The ICO can investigate and, if it finds in your favour, issue an enforcement notice requiring Google to delist. The ICO complaint form is available at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

Consider Defamation Proceedings

For false statements of fact that have caused serious harm to your reputation, instruct a media/defamation solicitor. A solicitor's pre-action letter to the publisher frequently achieves removal and often an apology. Court proceedings are expensive and should be a last resort, but Google will comply with a court injunction.

Important Deadlines

Defamation claimOne year from date of publication (Limitation Act 1980, s.4A) — this is strictly applied

UK GDPR delisting or erasure requestNo fixed limitation period, but the longer the delay the more likely the content is considered to be in the public interest

Important Warnings

The right to be forgotten does not remove content from the internet — it removes it from Google's search index for searches made in the UK/EU. The original page still exists and can be found by direct URL or other search engines.

False or exaggerated complaints to Google or the ICO can backfire — if the content is accurate and in the public interest, the information may be retained and your complaint may draw more attention to it.

For information about historical criminal offences, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 provides that spent convictions need not be disclosed in most contexts, but press reports of those convictions are not automatically removable — a case-by-case assessment is required.

Frequently asked questions

What is the right to be forgotten and how does it work?: The right to be forgotten, based on UK GDPR Article 17, allows you to request that search engines remove links from their index if the personal data is no longer necessary, processed without consent, or unlawful. However, this right is not absolute and does not apply if the data is needed for freedom of expression, legal compliance, or public interest. It removes the link from search results but does not delete the original content from the source website.
What can I do if Google refuses to remove my information from search results?: If Google refuses your delisting request, you can submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO can investigate the refusal and, if it finds in your favour, issue an enforcement notice requiring Google to comply. The complaint form is available at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint. It is important to note that the delisting route only affects the search index, so you may still need to address the content on the original website separately.
How do I deal with defamatory articles appearing in Google search results?: For defamatory content, you can notify the publisher, issue a defamation claim in the High Court for serious cases, or submit a legal removal request to Google. Google usually delists URLs following a court order but will not act on bare assertions. The primary legal framework is the Defamation Act 2013, which requires that the false statement has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to your reputation. Instructing a media or defamation solicitor is often recommended for these cases.
What are the risks of submitting a removal request to Google?: You must be careful not to submit false or exaggerated claims to Google or the ICO, as this can backfire. If the content is accurate and in the public interest, the information may be retained, and your complaint might draw more attention to it. The correct approach depends on the nature of the content, such as whether it is outdated personal data, defamatory, or a spent criminal conviction. Misidentifying the issue can lead to unsuccessful requests.
Does the right to be forgotten delete the original webpage from the internet?: The right to be forgotten only removes links from Google's search index for searches made in the UK or EU. It does not delete the original content from the internet. The webpage still exists and can be found by entering the direct URL or using other search engines. Therefore, you may need to contact the publisher directly to remove or correct the content at the source for a complete resolution.

Official Resources

Google — Remove information from Google Search →ICO — Make a complaint about an organisation →ICO — Right to erasure →Ofcom — Online Safety information →