Right to be Forgotten and Removal from Search Engines

Content that was published on the internet years ago but is now outdated or violates privacy can cause serious damage to individuals’ personal and professional lives. At this point, a legally recognized right comes into play: “Right to be Forgotten”.

In this content, you can find out what the right to be forgotten is, how to remove content from Google and other search engines, legal remedies and the support we offer as MFY Legal.

What is the Right to be Forgotten?

The right to be forgotten is the right of the individual to request the deletion of information about him/her in the past that is outdated, unnecessary or damaging from the digital environment. The right to be forgotten was first recognized by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) decisions and then started to be applied in Turkey through the case law of the Constitutional Court.

Right to be Forgotten in Turkey

The Constitutional Court has recognized the right to be forgotten in many individual applications on the grounds of violation of the right to privacy, personal rights and reputation.

🔗 Sample decision: Constitutional Court – Decision No. 2015/8234

Which content can be removed?

• Outdated court news published many years ago
• Unfounded complaints or accusations against you
• Content that includes your name and surname and causes discomfort in search results
• Old social media posts or comments
• News about cases in which you were not convicted or acquitted
• Sensitive information about your private life

Application Methods

1. Apply to Google and Other Search Engines

Google offers a special content removal form for content that contains personal information:

👉 Google Removal Request Form

The following information is required in the application form:

• URL requested to be removed
• Explanation of why the content was removed
• Identity information
• Documents you need to attach (court order if necessary)

🔗 Detailed description: How to Request Content Removal from Google

2. Application to the Court (Criminal Court of Peace)

In cases where Google does not produce results, Article 9 of Law No. 5651 accordingly, an application can be made to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace. If the court decides to remove the content or block access, this decision can also be communicated to Google.

🔗 Related legal process: What is an Access Block According to Law No. 5651?

3. Application to a News Website or Broadcasting Organization

It is also possible to take down the relevant page by applying directly to the news website hosting the content.

🔗 More information: Removing Old Content from News Sites

Constitutional Court Decision Sample

Decision: 2015/8234

Synopsis: An outdated court news article published years ago continued to appear in search engines with the applicant’s name. The Constitutional Court ruled that the right to privacy and the right to be forgotten were violated.

🔗 https://kararlarbilgibankasi.anayasa.gov.tr/BB/2015/8234

Frequently Asked Questions

🔹 Can everyone exercise the right to be forgotten?

Yes. Everyone has the right to have their personal content from the past deleted from the digital environment.

🔹 Is content removed from Google completely deleted?

No, it is not. If the content remains at its source, it will only be removed from Google search results.

🔹 Can content be removed without going to court?

In some cases yes, but for serious rights violations, due process is recommended.

🔹 Can companies exercise the right to be forgotten?

Special remedies and access block requests are possible to protect corporate reputation.

How We Help You as MFY Legal?

✅ Personal Content Protection: We prepare applications for the removal of content that contains your name, is unlawful or offensive to you.

✅ Google and Yandex Applications: We handle official content removal requests efficiently and accurately.

✅ Court Process Management: We write the necessary court petitions to exercise your right to be forgotten and follow the process on your behalf.

✅ Corporate Reputation Protection: We provide retrospective content cleaning and reputation management services for companies.

📩 Apply Now!

You can contact MFY Legal to clear your name and history from Google, news sites and digital media .

🔗 Click to go to our Contact Page