Re: No re-writing history?
Well put, Graham.
A very good debate/discussion, I think (spoiled just a tiny bit by a bit of unnecessary negative voting?).
I think the real issue is brought out in the posts here - I'll try to summarise:
1. There is no right to be forgotten (but some in the EU would like one)
2. So an EU court has decided that Search Engines (the court made a legal definition as to what one is and does) are data processors (because, as part of their business, they hold data about people)
3. A search engine is therefore subject to laws governing data processors.
4. These laws were originally intended to stop companies - who process, store and make-available data about EU citizens - holding "out of date information".
3a Especially relevant where "time served events " - like bankruptcy - are involved.
(this was done because citizens found once they had been "black listed", they could never get credit again)
And so, the problem is that an old law, not intended for use in the industry it is being targeted at, that was written before the vast majority of people on the planet had ever heard of the Internet, is now being used to "bash Google" because drafting new laws is too hard (and to be totally fair, Google needs bashing much more often).
However, little good ever comes of bad law nor bad implementation.
There is should be a big debate for society about the trade off between the Right to know and the Right to be forgotten. And in particular who should get to decide, on a case by case basis, between the two necessary evils.
And - For non-US citizens in particular - there are issues around (US) companies holding data about them, without being held accountable to the same laws to which they are held accountable.
However: What with massive media misrepresentation - both ways - spoiled tantrums from the IT industry and poor knee jerk reactions from the EU legal apparatus; sadly I don't think there's much chance of having a quality debate (despite the fact that we have had one here).