Search Result Suppression — Through Data-Protection Instruments
When typing your name into a search engine surfaces old, damaging or unlawfully disseminated information, the problem lies not only on the page where the information sits — it lies in its visibility. The Georgian Law on Personal Data Protection answers this situation with three rights: the right to information creates transparency, the right of access and copies establishes what data are processed, and the right to cessation of processing, erasure or destruction — including, for publicly available data, the demand to delete any internet link — is precisely the path to limiting the visibility of search results.
The Right to Information — the First Step of Transparency
A data subject may request from the controller confirmation of whether data about him are processed, whether the processing is justified, and receive free of charge information on: what data are processed and on what basis and for what purpose; the source of collection; the storage period or the criteria for determining it; the data subject's rights; the legal basis and guarantees of transfers to another state or international organization; the identity or categories of recipients; and the logic and impact of automated processing, including profiling.
This information is provided no later than 10 working days after the request; in special cases, with proper justification, the period may be extended by no more than a further 10 working days, of which the data subject is informed immediately. The data subject chooses the form of supply — unless requested otherwise, the information is given in the same form as the request.
Access and Copies — What Data Exist About You
A data subject has the right to acquaint himself with the personal data concerning him held by the controller and to receive copies free of charge — except where legislation provides a fee or the controller has set a reasonable fee for supply in a different form due to resources expended or the frequency of requests. Copies are provided no later than 10 working days after the request, extendable in special cases by no more than 10 working days. Any fee must not exceed the resources actually expended, and the burden of proving its reasonableness lies on the controller.