Financial Times reports that Google has agreed to follow the European Court of Justice ruling from earlier this month allowing EU citizens to request link takedowns. Though the ruling risks the next generation of start-ups and bolsters censorship in repressive governments, Google CEO Larry Page told the publication the company has now released an online form for users to submit requests. The company has also announced it is forming a committee—mostly outside experts—to advise on how best to work with its new privacy function. Page said, “We’re trying now to be more European and think about it maybe more from a European context,” adding, “A very significant amount of time is going to be spent in Europe talking.” The New York Times pulls together a number of cases affecting EU citizens and quotes French Data Protection Authority and Article 29 Working Party Chair Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin as saying the ruling “echoes what we identify as a social trend, which is the will of the individuals to master their online life.” (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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