Take down negative articles from the internet
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How to take down negative articles from the internet
There are various methods to take down negative articles from the internet. How to take down negative articles from the internet would depend on whether you are a company or an individual and largely on the nature of the negative articles that you wish to have taken down.
Who can remove negative articles from the internet
Why do people want to remove negative articles from the internet
How to take down negative search results from the internet if you are an individual
Can search engines take down search results by overriding the algorithm
Can a right to be forgotten be refused
What if Google refuses a delisting request engine results
Why trust us with your right to be forgotten application
Who can remove negative articles from the internet
Individuals, companies, and brands can remove articles from the internet, each by applying the law that applies to their own circumstances.
Why do people want to remove negative articles from the internet
Negative search engine results can result in unpleasant consequences. You may lose a job or have to answer embarrassing questions from your friends or family. This is especially true if the information against your name was false, misleading, outdated, or just plain wrong. Fortunately, our team can help. We specialise in removing negative content from the internet and repairing damaged reputations for individuals and organisations.
We have a proven track record of success, and we can help you take control of your online presence and successfully handle reputation crises. We understand the importance of a positive online presence. We also know how frustrating it can be when negative articles show up in search results. That’s why we offer a fixed fee service to help take down negative articles from the internet. We can help you remove misleading, false, or old information from the web so you can maintain a positive online reputation and stop being embarrassed when you meet new people.
Our team is constantly supporting professional people, sportsmen and women, celebrities, companies and brands to maintain a positive online presence. When it comes to individuals, we help enforce their privacy protection rights. Our law firm specialises in media and is highly respected and recognised for the work it does in this specialist field. We make sure that our clients receive the best possible professional representation and advice.
How to take down negative search results from the internet if you are an individual
There are a few options available to you when it comes to taking down negative articles from the internet and dealing with negative results on search engines on behalf of an individual. The most common method is to request the removal of the offending content. You can also start a dialogue with the author of the material, the webmaster, or the hosting company. Another option is to take legal action against the source of the publication or contact the registry administrator, ISP, or other internet service provider to request removal.
A right to be forgotten is a form of legal action because by initiating a right to be forgotten request, you begin a process of enforcing your legal rights. It is important to consider the economic feasibility, the practicality, and the strategic implications of these options before taking any action aiming to take down negative articles from the internet.
This is particularly true in cases where there is little likelihood of successfully pursuing a claim against the author when the author appears to be acting unreasonably, when there are many problem sites, or when the intermediary has immunity from liability under local law. In such situations, it may be more effective to take a different approach, such as contacting search engine providers (e.g. Google, Bing or Yahoo). We will advise you on all your options and will make you aware of any risks that might be associated with any of the solutions that are available to you.
What are the responsibilities of search engine operators when it comes to taking down internet content
Google and other search engine providers can remove pages from search results that are displayed for any given query in a matter of seconds. While all the source material remains online, URLs/webpages that violate their policies will not be listed in search results. They may also take down from search results internet content for the following reasons:
- They will take down content for moral or social reasons
- They will take down content if the content breaks the law
- They will take down content if the content breaches a right to private life or someone’s data
- They will take down content if the content is considered harmful.
Whilst search engines might take down from search results certain web pages, if they take down a result of a right to be forgotten request, searches for additional keywords, such as the name and business of the company, a business or a brand mentioned within the article, can still result in the offending webpage appear in search results.
Even though companies are excluded from delisting under a right to be forgotten, in some cases, search results that include a company name, together with the name of the individual may still be removed from search results.
Can search engines take down search results by overriding the algorithm
Yes. Search engines can take down or delist search results by taking manual action to interfere or to override their algorithm. Search engine companies can filter out results if they want to. The right to be forgotten has created a set of rules that interfere with the search engines’ independence and autonomy. Search engine companies don't like to filter search results in accordance with objective rules and practices that are dictated to them by the state or by a government.
This is because search engine operators consider their role to organise, or to provide the best possible results for search queries whilst preserving certain subjective social or moral obligations. They believe that filtering or deindexing search results could interfere with these goals.
Being told to remove search results from the internet in accordance with set rules, also, they believe, interferes with their independence to process search results in the way they see fit. So whilst search engines may delist search results by overriding the algorithm, they would rather do this independently and without having to be answerable or be scrutinised by independent bodies or by the court.
What is the right to erasure
The right to erasure is the same as the right to be forgotten. It is a process that helps you take down negative articles from the internet. When it comes to search engine results, the right to erasure refers to the right of an individual to not have their personal details (normally their name), processed when the processing is unlawful, irrelevant, dated or excessive. Individuals can request that Google or other search engines take down or delist such search results against their names.
If you find the content in old media reports, comments on blogs or bulletin board posts objectionable, you might be able to use the right to erasure or a right to be forgotten to have the content delisted from internet search results, and in some cases from an entire website. The right not to be forgotten recognises that this information shouldn't be returned if a search is done for an individual's name if the individual does not agree with the date being processed.
The right to erasure under GDPR effectively codifies the right to be forgotten. This right extends beyond search engines and applies to any party that has access to your personal information. If you make an erasure request, that party is obliged to delete your data, subject to certain exceptions. As data controllers, search engines have a legal obligation to process personal information in accordance with strict data protection guidelines.
These principles require that personal data be processed fairly and lawfully, that it be relevant and not excessive, and that it be accurate. Search engines must also ensure that personal data is not kept for longer than is necessary, and that appropriate security measures are in place to protect the information. These obligations are set out in the Data Protection Act 1998, and failure to comply with them can result in heavy fines. In order to comply with data protection law, search engines must have a clear and transparent privacy policy that sets out how they will use personal information. This policy should be easily accessible to users and should be updated.
Can a right to be forgotten be refused
If you want to take down negative articles from the internet by applying for a right to be forgotten, you need to consider that a right to be forgotten request might be refused. However, this does not mean that there is nothing else that you can do to have offending search results taken down from searches.
Whilst the right to be forgotten and the right to erasure are not absolute rights, search engine providers such as Google can choose to not delist results in certain situations where there is an overriding public interest that takes precedence over an individual's rights to their data. For example, if there is a public interest in accessing information about a person's criminal history, search engines may choose not to filter results for that individual.
However, in many cases, search engines do not get it right the first time round and many refusals to delist internet pages under a right to be forgotten has been subsequently overturned. By way of example, there are many grey areas when it comes to criminal convictions and a right to be forgotten, as well as in relation to a right to be forgotten and professional disciplinary action by regulatory bodies. If an individual is convicted of a minor offense, they may be able to move on with their lives without worrying about negative search engine results.
But sometimes even a minor conviction could hinder one’s prospects of socialising or of obtaining employment. The involvement of an experienced and trusted solicitor with the right to be forgotten process is likely to make the difference between you having to live with the unwanted search results to the rest of your life and having the ability to move on swiftly.
Will Google delist my results
Whether Google will delist your unwanted search results would depend on how strong your case is and in many cases on the way it is being presented and perused.
There are good and poor cases. However, most cases are open for an argument and can be decided, either way, depending in many cases, on how a right to be forgotten case is being prepared and then presented to the search engine company or to the website operator.
What if Google refuses a delisting request engine results
There will always be cases in which there is disagreement about whether search results should or shouldn't be taken down or delisted. In such cases, you may ask Google or another search engine to review the decision or you may complain or appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office.
You could also seek a court order requiring Google to delist search engine results. However, there are many other options that might be available to you before you escalate matters and you might also want to consider whether getting the Information Commissioner's Office involved is in your best interest. We can help you contest the decision of Google has already declined your right to be forgotten request.
We have developed a number of unique processes to take down negative articles from the internet, which work nearly every time we commence a right to be forgotten application on behalf of a client. Our unique processes for a right to be forgotten include gradual escalations to key decision makers, including Google in-house attorney as well as to Google’s lawyers in the UK and in Ireland. We also have thousands of previous cases to refer to which help us successfully challenge a refusal of a right to be forgotten request in nearly every case
Why trust us with your right to be forgotten application
You can trust us with your right to be forgotten application. We have extensive knowledge in this area of law, which predates the right to be forgotten laws. Our lawyers are the first in the country to work on behalf of clients who wish to take down negative articles from the internet and they have pioneered the removal of web pages and online posts since the early days of the internet.
Our lawyers have been assisting clients in taking down negative articles from the internet for over 20 years as well as with internet law related matters. We have unique connections with website operators from all over the world and with their attorneys and our removal processes have resulted in the delisting, removal and deletion of tens of thousands of internet posts on behalf of our satisfied clients.
