IMY right to remove search results
This source card preserves IMY’s guidance on removing search results displayed for a person’s name as it appeared on 15 July 2026.
IMY distinguishes de-referencing from source removal. A successful request prevents the result from appearing for searches associated with the person’s name in the applicable EU and EEA context, but does not delete the linked page.
The guidance says results leading to criminal information must be removed unless their continued display is strictly necessary to protect freedom of information. Relevant considerations include seriousness and recency, the person’s public role, current public interest, the publication’s content and form, and the consequences for the person.
The test contains no categorical exception for a particular offence label. Serious and recent offending weighs against removal, while time elapsed, private-person status, publication form, and concrete consequences can weigh the other way.
After a search engine refuses a request, the affected person can complain to IMY. IMY may open supervision and require removal if the search engine does not establish that the public interest outweighs the person’s rights. The person can also bring a civil action in a general court.