Google to fight Spanish demands to remove 'libelous' links

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Google will this week challenge a Spanish demand to remove links to articles in newspapers, including El País, and official gazettes, in which the subjects of those articles have complained they are potentially defamatory.

The technology giant has been ordered to remove almost 100 online articles from its search listings by Spain's data protection authority, which Google warns would have a "profound, chilling effect" on freedom of expression.

Google will challenge the orders in a Madrid court on Wednesday, the outcome of which could set a controversial new precedent for internet publishing in Spain.

An injunction against search engines is the only way to block access to sensitive material published by these sites, the Spanish authority argues, as newspapers in the country can legally refuse to comply with more informal requests.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/16/google-court-spain-privacy

[azurnoir]

1. hopefully Google wins because this could be

precedent setting for other countries

[Downwinder]

2. The web site controls what is indexed with robots.txt.

[NaturalHigh]

3. I agree with Google on this.

Do they expect Google to remove the links worldwide or only on the Spanish site?

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. This seems pointless; if the Spanish sources are allowed to keep the material on their site

then why shouldn't others, such as Google, be able to index it?

[dipsydoodle]

5. Like it or not

there is very little which would be allowed to overcome any of the EU or its member state's Data Protection laws.

Google defence would need to prove they didn't breach those laws.

[Ex Lurker]

6. Now if they would just stand up to China nt