Men want Google to stop linking their names to past crimes

Two men want Google to stop linking their names to internet information referring to past criminal convictions in a landmark case on the ‘right to be forgotten’.

The anonymous men, described as businessmen, argue their convictions are decades old and ‘legally spent.’  

One was convicted of conspiracy to account falsely, and the other was convicted of conspiracy to intercept communications, but they have served their sentences, Judge Matthew Nicklin said at a pre-trial hearing Thursday. 

Both have taken legal action against Google bosses, arguing that they have a ‘right to be forgotten’. The tech giant is already embroiled in a case with the EU’s top court over the principle. 

The EU ruled in May 2014 that people could request links relating to them be removed from search engine results if they were outdated or irrelevant.   

The ruling is only valid in the 28-nation bloc, but Google has clashed with privacy regulators over attempts to apply it beyond the EU.   

A judge is due to consider rival arguments at trials later this year.

Mr Justice Nicklin oversaw a preliminary hearing at the High Court in London on Thursday.

He said the cases were the first of their kind to be aired in England. The judge made an order barring the men from being identified in media reports.

He said issues surrounding reporting would be analysed at a hearing in the next few weeks.