News-Article Removal — What Is Possible Under Georgian Law
A false news article left on the internet damages a person's reputation for years, and demanding its removal is an understandable wish. It must be said plainly at the outset: the Civil Code of Georgia contains no special statute for the automatic removal or de-indexing of a news article. What does exist are civil-law mechanisms that achieve the result in the same direction: restoration of the previous situation (Article 408), denial through the same channel and replacement of a document (Article 18), and compensation for the dissemination of false facts (Article 993). The special regime concerning personal data belongs to other legislation and is described here generically.
Restoration of the Previous Situation — Article 408
Article 408 provides: the person obliged to compensate damage must restore the situation that would have existed had the circumstance giving rise to the duty of compensation not occurred. For reputational damage this rule means that restoration comes first: before money is claimed, the truth must be restored in the same space — through denial, a correct notice or the elimination of the false material's influence. This norm is exactly the support by which the consequences of a false publication are neutralised rather than merely compensated in money.
Denial and the Claimant — Articles 18 and 19
Part three of Article 18 gives two concrete instruments: where violating information has been disseminated through mass-information media, its denial must also take place through the same media; and where such data is contained in a document issued by an organisation, that document must be replaced and the interested persons notified. For a news article the first instrument works: the denial occurs in the same publication, and it is exactly this that creates public counterweight to the false material. Part four gives the right to publish responsive information.
A false article often concerns a deceased person. Article 19 provides: the rights indicated in Article 18 may also be exercised by a person who, although not himself the bearer of the right to the name or personal dignity, has an interest worthy of protection — he may demand such protection of the name and dignity as is determinative of the person's existence and continues after death. At the same time, claiming monetary compensation of moral damage after death is inadmissible.
The Falsity of the Fact and the Deadlines
The ground of the claim is Article 993: facts count as false when they are evidently incorrect; the exception is also in the law — no duty of compensation arises for statements serving the protection of lawful public interests. The deadline is determined by Article 1008: three years from the moment the injured person learned of the damage or of the person liable. For news material this moment is the point of discovering the publication, and establishing it is a documentary question.
The Practical Route and the Lawyer's Role
The route of fighting the consequences of an article is as follows: fixing the material (content, author, date, link), factual verification (which assertions are evidently false), a written demand to the publication — for denial, correction or replacement of the document — and, if necessary, the court. At the fifth and sixth stages the lawyer decides which mechanism works for the concrete material: restoration under Article 408, denial under Article 18 or compensation under Article 993. The special regime of personal data is regulated by separate legislation and its description here is generic — but the civil route stands exactly on the norms described.
One more detail: the demand to the publication must always be in writing and must precisely describe which assertion is false, what determination the victim seeks and within which period. Such a demand becomes the initial document of any subsequent court dispute: it shows that the victim attempted the truth peacefully, and the publication's refusal or inadequate answer aggravates the position in court.
An additional circumstance: a long-accessible false material accumulates damage gradually — its link remains in search results for years, and every new view means new damage. The factor of time is therefore two-sided here: preserving the deadlines on the one hand, and documenting the continuation of the damage on the other. A lawyer plans both in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently asked about the removal of news articles.
Can the article simply be demanded to be deleted?
The Civil Code has no automatic-removal statute; the result is achieved through civil mechanisms — restoration of the previous situation (Article 408) and denial through the same channel (Article 18). The personal-data regime belongs to other legislation.
What does restoration of the previous situation mean?
Under Article 408, the person obliged to compensate must restore the situation that existed before the damage — restoration precedes monetary compensation.
Where must the denial occur?
Under part three of Article 18 — through the same mass-information media; false data in an organisation's document is corrected by replacing the document and notifying interested persons.
Who may demand protection of a deceased person?
Under Article 19 — a person with an interest worthy of protection; monetary compensation of moral damage after death is inadmissible.
Within what period?
Under Article 1008 — three years from the moment the injured person learned of the damage or of the person liable.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The demand for the removal of a news article begins with civil mechanisms and ends with documentation. The advocates of Legal.ge assist in choosing the mechanism, computing the deadlines and preparing the claim. Submit a request on the site and receive qualified assistance.