Delisting is not deletion
What the Right to Be Forgotten actually changes.
When a search engine grants a Right to Be Forgotten request, the underlying webpage remains online. The publisher is not notified, and the article is not edited or removed. What changes is visibility: the specific URL no longer appears in searches for the individual’s name conducted within the UK and EU.
Google uses geolocation to reinforce this, so UK users searching on any Google domain do not see the delisted result for the person’s name.
The practical consequences
Delisting from Google — approximately 92% of UK searches — and Bing — approximately 6% — covers the overwhelming majority of search traffic. But it does not affect:
- Direct access to the URL
- Searches conducted from outside the UK and EU
- New URLs published after the request
Ongoing monitoring matters, because a website restructure or a fresh article can reintroduce the visibility problem.
Why the distinction is ethical, not just technical
RTBF is not a tool for erasing history or concealing current wrongdoing. It is a remedy for information that has become irrelevant, excessive, or disproportionate in the context of a name search.
Framing it accurately — to clients, to search engines, and to the public — is part of doing this work responsibly. Firms that promise to “remove” content are either misunderstanding the mechanism or misrepresenting it. Neither is a good basis for a professional relationship.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. If you would like an assessment of your circumstances, request a confidential consultation.