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European Court Limits ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ Online Privacy Rule

The European Court of Justice ruled that the “right to be forgotten” privacy rule cannot be applied outside the European Union.

The European Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that a controversial internet-privacy law known as the “right to be forgotten” cannot be applied outside the European Union. The New York Times reports the case the judges considered was brought by French authorities who sought to force Google and other search engines to remove links in question to all users no matter where they logged on. But the court disagreed, ruling instead that the privacy statute only applies to users inside the European Union and that users who log on in different countries can still access the online information. “The balance between right to privacy and protection of personal data, on the one hand, and the freedom of information of internet users, on the other, is likely to vary significantly around the world,” the court said in its decision. In essence, the court ruled that the right to be forgotten “is not an absolute right.”