The Problem with Europe's 'Right to Be Forgotten'

In Europe, search engines are classified as "data collectors" rather than news or media outlets, and the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees every person the right to "protection of personal data.

22 minute read July 01, 2014 at 02:02 PM

Ben Feuer

The Problem with Europe's 'Right to Be Forgotten'

Mario Costeja Gonz'lez was a tax cheat. In 1998, years of dodging social security taxes finally caught up with the 43-year-old Spaniard. To pay his tax debt, the government seized the Barcelona resident's condo and threw it on the auction block.

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