Europeans: You have a ‘right to be forgotten’

PR pros need to think hard about the ramifications of a recent ruling by a European court. What impact will it have on our business? Should we cheer or cry?

Last May, a European court ruled that its citizens had “the right to be forgotten.”

This was a stunning victory for privacy advocates.

Google is now rapidly moving to comply with the ruling. It has received nearly 50,000 submissions from people asking that links be removed.

Google will begin removing those links by the end of the month—if those requests comply with the new ruling—reports the New York Times.

If you detest the idea that your life is on display to anyone searching the Web—move to Europe.

But what will this mean for those European PR pros practicing reputation management for their clients? Will agencies launch new businesses offering to help people manage the somewhat tedious process of forcing Google to remove links?