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European High Court Places Limits on 'Googling'

CBN

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A big battle between free speech and privacy is playing out in Europe. Google and other search engines are now facing some major limitations there after a ruling by Europe's highest court.

The European Union Court of Justice ruled that individuals should have some say over what pops up when their name is "Googled" -- or searched for online.

The court said Google must listen and sometimes comply when individuals ask the Internet giant to remove links to newspaper articles or websites that include personal information.

But Google said people should take it up with the websites that posted the material.

"The court decided that this person's privacy right outweighs Google's interest in making any information available. It sounds like it's just about Google, but it's really actually very threatening to much of the Internet. The Internet is a place where you find information," Jules Polonetsky, executive director of Future of Privacy Forum, said.

The decision has no immediate impact in the United States or other countries outside Europe. But it will impact all search engines, including Yahoo and Microsoft's Bing.

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