The right to be forgotten: how to remove yourself from Google — Ukraine and the EU
The “right to be forgotten” sounds like the promise of an “erase the past” button. The reality is narrower but more useful: it is a working mechanism for delisting links from search results — with clear conditions, geography and limits. We break down how it works, who can use it, how to submit a request — and what to do when it doesn’t work.
In short. The right to be forgotten lets you require a search engine to delist links from the results for your name; the material itself stays on the website. The mechanism is mandatory for EU countries (GDPR); Ukraine has no direct equivalent — personal data protection and the courts are what work there.
mechanics
What it really is
The right to be forgotten is a person’s right to require a search engine to delist, from the results for their name, links to outdated, irrelevant or excessive information.
The key subtlety: it is not the material itself that is removed but the link to it in the search results — the page lives on on the website, but someone googling the name doesn’t see it.
The mechanism was born from a 2014 ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU and is enshrined in the GDPR. That is why it has a geography: it is mandatory for European search results; there is no global “right to be forgotten”.
plan
How to submit a request: step by step
01
Assess whether you meet the conditions.
The best candidates: outdated information that is no longer relevant; data disseminated without a legal basis; materials about closed or long-exhausted episodes. The worst: socially significant information about public activity — here the public interest prevails.
02
The Google form.
The request is submitted through the official removal form under EU law: a list of links, a justification for each one, proof of identity. The justification is the decisive part: “I don’t like it” doesn’t work; “the information is outdated, causes disproportionate harm and is of no public interest” does.
03
Review.
Google weighs your right to privacy against the public interest. The answer takes from weeks to months: full approval, partial approval or a refusal with reasons.
04
If refused.
An appeal to the data protection authority of the relevant EU country, or a refined repeat request with a stronger justification. A large share of refusals are the result of weak arguments in the first request, not of a hopeless case.
05
The Ukrainian specifics.
Ukrainian law has no direct equivalent of the European mechanism. Related routes work: personal data protection (requirements for data controllers), a court refutation of false information, requests to platforms. And if your audience and risks are European (banks, partners, compliance), a request concerning European search results makes sense regardless of Ukrainian citizenship: what matters is where people search for you.
limits
What the right to be forgotten won’t do
It won’t delete the material itself — it will remain on the website and accessible via a direct link.
It won’t work against socially significant information — the mechanism rarely helps public figures. It won’t clean up Ukrainian search results — they are outside the mandatory scope of the GDPR. It won’t stop reprints: a delisted link doesn’t prevent ten new ones from appearing. That is why in systematic work it is one tool in a set — alongside requests to platforms, legal mechanisms and pushing down. How to remove information about yourself: all the routes →
question
FAQ
Does the right to be forgotten apply in Ukraine?
Not directly: the mandatory mechanism exists for search results in EU countries. In Ukraine, related data protection mechanisms and the court route work; legislation is moving towards European standards.
How much does it cost to submit a request?
The request itself is free. Costs arise where strong arguments, legal support for an appeal or work with dozens of links are needed.
Google refused. Is that the end?
No: an appeal to the regulator, a repeat request with a better justification — or other removal mechanisms if this one is categorically unsuitable.
Will it be removed from all search engines?
No — a request is submitted to each one separately (Google and Bing have their own procedures). In practice, Google’s search results cover most tasks.
next step
If there are many links and the stakes are high
When it comes to dozens of links, European compliance or preparing for background checks, justifying each request, sequencing the mechanisms and dealing with what can’t be removed become a profession in their own right.
Read also
How to Remove Information About Yourself from the Internet: A Complete Guide
Protection of Honour, Dignity and Business Reputation: the Lawsuit, Case Law — and When a Court Won’t Help
Founder of SERM.UA, the first reputation management agency in Ukraine. Has been managing the reputations of private individuals since 2011.
This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
