DHAKA: The EU’s top court, in a surprise ruling on Tuesday, said that individuals do have the right to ask US Internet giant Google to delete personal data produced by its ubiquitous search engine.

Taking up a complaint concerning a Spanish citizen, the European Court of Justice said individuals have this right ‘to be forgotten’, under certain circumstances when their personal data becomes outdated or inaccurate.

Specifically, this applies when such data ‘appear to be inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant, or excessive in relation to the purpose for which they were processed and in the light of the time that has elapsed’.

This was based on the finding that under current data protection norms in the European Union, ‘an internet search engine operator is responsible for the processing that it carries out of personal data’, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1820 HRS, MAY 13, 2014