Google to hold public debates about ‘right to be forgotten’ throughout Europe

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Published October 22, 2015

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt (L) and David Drummond, Google's Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, react before a meeting about the 'right to be forgotten,' in Madrid on September 9. (REUTERS/Andrea Comas)

Google will be holding a series of public debates about the European Union’s “right to be forgotten” ruling, which allows people in the E.U. to request Google to take down Web pages which may paint them in an unsavory light, the BBC reports.

The debates will include input from an “advisory council” set up by Google, which will be tasked with collecting feedback on the issue from Europeans who come from a wide number of industries and backgrounds. They’ll include contributions from people in government, media, tech, academia, and other sectors as well.

The council itself is made up of a 10-member body, and includes Google exec Eric Schmidt, Wikimedia founder Jimmy Wales, and a collection of people whose backgrounds include education, law, ethics, politics, and other areas as well.

Google says that it is holding these debates because the tech giant wants some help on how it should straddle the fence between protecting people’s privacy, and the public’s right to access certain information.

“We want to strike this balance right,” Google says. “This obligation is a new and difficult challenge for us, and we’re seeking advice on the principles Google ought to apply when making decisions on individual cases.”

The first debate is scheduled to commence September 9 in Madrid, Spain. The debates will be live streamed, and they’ll also be provided as audio recordings in multiple languages (including English).

You can also participate in the debate by filling out a form located towards the bottom of this Google page.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/google-to-hold-public-debates-about-right-to-be-forgotten-throughout-europe