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Following EU Ruling, BBC Article Excluded From Google Searches

Posted by Soulskill on from the system-and-method-to-break-the-internet dept.

Albanach writes: In 2007, the BBC's economics editor, Robert Peston, penned an article on the massive losses at Merrill Lynch and the resulting resignation of their CEO Stan O'Neal. Today, the BBC has been notified that the 2007 article will no longer appear in some Google searches made within the European Union, apparently as a result of someone exercising their new-found "right to be forgotten." O'Neal was the only individual named in the 2007 article. While O'Neal has left Merrill Lynch, he has not left the world of business, and now holds a directorship at Alcoa, the world's third largest aluminum producer with $23 billion in revenues in 2013.

7 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Blaming Google by Stormy+Dragon · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't know why the journalist is blaming Google for this ("So why has Google killed this example of my journalism?") when it's obvious they're not doing this voluntarily.

    1. Re:Blaming Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      O'Neal (the article spells it with an 'a', despite the summary substituting an 'i')

      It's O'Neill. Two L's.

    2. Re:Blaming Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      They already know. There's another Director O'Neil with only one L, and he has no sense of humor at all.

  2. Stan O'Neil - Never heard of him, before. by pubwvj · · Score: 4, Funny

    Crimmany. Before this demand to be forgotten I had never heard of Stan O'Neil. Now, knowing this I'll be sure not to hire him, etc, etc.

  3. This is hilarious! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    News outlet reports on business world goings on, a CEO leaving a company that is having financial woes.
    Google indexes article.
    Years later, person mentioned in article files request to delist new article.
    Google delists, advises news outlet of article delisting.
    News outlet writes new article about delisting of old article, links to old article.
    Google indexes new article.

    In the words of Robin Williams: "Mr. President. In the dictionary under Redundant, it says 'see: Redundant'."

  4. Ok, human beings next? by mi · · Score: 3, Funny

    Supposedly, a way is discovered to make people forget certain things. Not far-fetched — we can already plant false memories...

    I am asking the proponents of this wonderful "right to be forgotten" legislation, whether they would approve of a law, that would allow people to demand, their ex-partners be forced to undergo a procedure to make them forget of the good time the have once shared, for example.

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  5. Re:The right to be forgotten is stupid. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "The problem with quotations on the Internet is that it is difficult to verify the authenticity of the source."
    --Abraham Lincoln.