Google LLC – Dismissed (Italy, 2022)

The controller is Google LLC. The data subject was involved in a number legal matters. Articles were published about these legal matters, which were found in search results in association with the data subject's name. The data subject asked the DPA to order the controller to remove these URLs, exercising his right to be forgotten (Article 17(1) GDPR). The data subject claimed that the court proceedings were fully settled, resulting in an acquittal. Furthermore, he stated that they were outdated. The data subject therefore argued that there was thus no public interest concerning the right to freedom of information and journalism with regard to this articles. The Controller stated that there was a public interest in the articles, as they related to conduct of serious criminal relevance committed by the data subject and in respect of which 'the outcome of the trial is unclear.' The DPA found that, other than the data subject argued, the acquittal only related to a part of the charges. Furthermore, the articles in question also referred to other allegations against the data subject, in respect of which the judicial proceedings had not yet been concluded. Therefore the DPA held that the information in the articles were still relevant and in the public interest. The DPA held that the complaint was unfounded.