News article removal is a complex and specific legal service involving the deletion of old, false, or reputation-damaging information from the internet. It is common for a negative article written years ago to still appear in Google searches, hindering employment, business, or personal life. Although journalistic archives have public value, mechanisms exist in Georgia and international practice (the so-called "Right to be Forgotten") to balance privacy and freedom of information. Removing an article is not a simple process, as media outlets protect their content. Success depends on correct legal argumentation: does the article contain defamation? Does it violate data protection laws? Has the information lost public interest?
What does the News Article Removal service cover?
The service includes a combination of negotiation and legal pressure:
- Legal Basis Analysis: Assessing the article—is it defamation? Does it violate the presumption of innocence? Does it contain illegally used personal data?
- Negotiation with Editorial Office: Sending an official letter to the publisher requesting removal, anonymization (changing name to initials), or de-indexing (hiding from Google).
- De-indexing from Google: Applying to search engines (Google, Bing) to stop specific links from appearing in search results for a person's name.
- Litigation: If the media refuses to cooperate and the article contains legal violations, filing a lawsuit demanding forced deletion.
Common Scenarios and Needs
Clients approach us with the following problems: Old Criminal Cases: The person was acquitted or served their sentence, but old articles still refer to them as a "criminal." False Accusations: A scandalous article was published in the past, which later turned out to be false, but is still searchable. Private Life Details: Intimate or family details were published with no public interest involved. Business Reputation: Outdated information about bankruptcy or disputes is found about a company, even though the issues are resolved.
Georgian Legislation and Regulations
The legal framework for removing articles is based on the Law of Georgia on Personal Data Protection. The law grants a person the right to demand blocking, deletion, or destruction of data if it is inaccurate, outdated, or processed illegally. However, this right is limited by media freedom, protected by the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression. The balance depends on whether the person is a public figure and whether the information has current public interest. The practice of the Personal Data Protection Service increasingly leans towards citizens' rights, especially regarding old and irrelevant information.
Step-by-Step Process
The process begins with an audit of problematic links. The lawyer prepares a substantiated Removal Request and sends it to the website administrator or hosting provider. The request can be of three types: full deletion, anonymization, or adding a no-index tag (so Google doesn't see it). If the editorial office refuses, we appeal to the Personal Data Protection Service or the court. Concurrently, Google's special forms are filled out to remove information from search results.
Why Legal.ge?
Removing information from the internet is hard but not impossible. Legal.ge connects you with lawyers who know media law and technical nuances. We have experience negotiating with publishers and know how to achieve results often without court intervention. Clean up your digital reputation and start a new life with the help of Legal.ge.
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