The Right to Be Forgotten under UK GDPR is one of the most powerful tools available to UK individuals for removing damaging or unwanted content from Google search results — and one of the least used, largely because most people do not know exactly what it covers, how to apply it, or how to structure a request that actually succeeds. This guide covers the right to be forgotten in plain terms: who it applies to, what types of content it covers, how to submit a request that has a meaningful chance of success, and what to do when Google says no.
What the Right to Be Forgotten Actually Is
The Right to Be Forgotten is the informal name for the right to erasure under Article 17 of UK GDPR. It gives UK individuals the right to request that their personal data be erased — and specifically, in the context of search engines, the right to request that Google delist specific URLs from search results for queries involving their name. The right was established through the original 2014 European Court of Justice ruling in the Google Spain case and has continued under UK GDPR following Brexit as part of the UK’s retained data protection law.
The right to be forgotten from Google search results is a de-indexing right, not a content deletion right. A successful right to be forgotten request removes the specific URL from Google’s search results for name-based queries — the content remains on the source website and may be accessible through direct navigation or through search queries not involving the individual’s name. For reputation management purposes, de-indexing achieves most of the practical benefit of content deletion — the result no longer appears when someone searches the individual’s name — without requiring the publisher to act.
Who Qualifies to Make a Right to Be Forgotten Request
The right to erasure under UK GDPR applies to individuals whose personal data has been processed by an organisation operating in the UK or processing the data of UK residents. For right to be forgotten requests to Google, the right applies to UK residents regardless of where the content was originally published — a UK resident can request de-indexing of content published on a US website if the continued display of that content in Google search results violates UK GDPR.
The right is personal — it applies to individuals, not to companies or organisations. A business cannot make a right to be forgotten request on behalf of itself as an entity, though the individuals named in content about a business may make requests in respect of their personal data in that content.
What Types of Content the Right to Be Forgotten Covers
Not all content can be de-indexed through a right to be forgotten request. Google assesses each request against specific criteria, and the most common grounds for successful requests in the UK context are that the information is inaccurate — the content contains factual errors about the individual, that the information is no longer relevant — the content was relevant at the time of publication but circumstances have changed significantly such that its continued display is no longer justified, that the information involves a spent criminal conviction — where the conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, continued display of search results about it may not serve a legitimate purpose, and that the information was excessive or disproportionate — the content published more personal detail than was necessary for its stated purpose.
Content that courts and regulatory bodies find serves a genuine public interest — journalism about matters of genuine public concern, academic research, historical records, and similar categories — is generally exempt from the right to be forgotten. Google weighs public interest against the individual’s privacy rights in making its assessment, and content from major national publications about events with genuine public significance is less likely to be de-indexed than content about private individuals in situations where the public interest in ongoing display is weak.
How to Submit a Right to Be Forgotten Request to Google
Right to be forgotten requests are submitted through Google’s dedicated removal request form, which can be found by searching “Google Right to Be Forgotten request.” The form requires the specific URLs you want de-indexed — not search queries, but the exact page addresses — and an explanation of why you believe the content should be removed. Vague requests citing general privacy concerns without identifying the specific legal ground are almost always denied. Requests that clearly identify the specific content, explain precisely why its continued display violates UK GDPR Article 17, and provide supporting context have a meaningfully higher approval rate.
For maximum effectiveness, each URL should be addressed separately in the request with its own specific explanation — do not submit a list of URLs with a single generic explanation covering all of them. Where the grounds differ between URLs — inaccuracy for one, irrelevance for another — each should be explained on its own terms.
What Happens After You Submit
Google reviews the request against its assessment framework and notifies you of its decision, typically within a few weeks of submission. Where Google approves the request, the specific URL is de-indexed from Google search results for queries involving your name. The content remains on the source website. Google does not notify the publisher that their URL has been de-indexed.
Where Google denies the request, you can appeal the decision — providing additional documentation or clarification of the grounds. The ICO, the UK’s data protection regulator, provides a formal complaint pathway where you believe Google has incorrectly denied a legitimate right to be forgotten request. The ICO can investigate Google’s decision and issue guidance or enforcement action, though the process takes time.
Where the content can also be addressed at the source — through direct publisher outreach on defamation or editorial correction grounds — pursuing both the source removal and the Google de-indexing request simultaneously is more effective than either alone. A URL de-indexed from Google eliminates most of the practical damage; source removal eliminates the content entirely.
The Right to Be Forgotten and AI Tools
A successful right to be forgotten request removes the specific URL from Google’s search results for name-based queries — but it does not automatically remove the content from other AI platforms. ChatGPT and Perplexity draw from sources beyond Google’s index, and content on the source website may continue to feed AI responses about an individual even after it has been de-indexed from Google. Where AI tool representation is also affected, additional steps are needed — addressing the content at the source, building positive corroboration, and monitoring AI tool responses separately from Google search results.
ORM Agency assists UK clients with right to be forgotten requests — preparing properly structured submissions for specific URLs, identifying the correct legal grounds for each piece of content, and pursuing simultaneous source removal where applicable. Email info@ormagency.co for a free confidential assessment of your right to be forgotten options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Right to Be Forgotten request take?
Google typically responds within a few weeks of submission. ICO appeals where Google’s decision is contested take significantly longer.
Can I submit a right to be forgotten request for content published in another country?
Yes. UK GDPR applies to Google’s processing of personal data of UK residents regardless of where the content was originally published.
Does the right to be forgotten remove content from Bing and other search engines?
No. Google operates its own right to be forgotten process. Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines have separate processes — you would need to submit separate requests to each one.
Can businesses use the right to be forgotten?
The right applies to individuals, not companies as entities. Individuals named in business-related content can make requests in respect of their own personal data in that content.
Related Services:
Online Reputation Management UK — full UK reputation management service.
Remove Negative News Articles UK — for UK press coverage specifically.
Remove Negative Information from Google UK — for broader personal data removal in the UK.
Content Removal Service — for targeted removal of specific harmful content.
