Remove pictures from Google under the right to be forgotten

Why removing picture from Google searches could be challenging 

Asking Google to remove links to pictures from search results under the right to be forgotten can be extremely challenging. 

To understand why removing pictures from Google is so tasking, you need to understand how Google stores pictures. In a nutshell, to make images download quickly to search results, Google manages servers where footprints of each image is stored.

The servers that power Google search exist all over the world and are managed by a separate Google group. Bing and Yahoo have similar systems in place. 

Google typically stores copies of images in image libraries, which are located in 14 different locations around the world. 

You may find that an image that you believe has been removed by Google from search results or from its original location will still appear in search results, but with an unusual URL.

How to remove pictures from Google searches with a right to be forgotten

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If you request that Google remove pictures from search results, your request will be forwarded to the Google technical team. They may require reminders and follow-up before taking action to remove the image from the internet library. 

Pictures are the hardest to remove from Google searches

 Images that are difficult to remove from Google searches tend to be those that have been deleted from the original source or website, but a copy of the image remains on one of Google's image libraries. We often need to assess the evidence in each case and explain the issues back to Google in order to get pictures removed from search results.

 Google could take several weeks or even months to remove any unwanted images from its image library. It is also difficult to remove images that have been uploaded to the Google blogging platform, Blogger. 

This is especially true if the Blogger website (or BlogSpot, as it was used to be known) has been deleted. People who delete a Blogger blog forget to delete all the images from the blog's photo library. This means that even though the blog has been deleted, all the text content and the pictures will remain in Google image libraries. 

They will also show up in Google search results. This situation presents a significant problem because only Google can access the photos and delete them. Google is often reluctant to do this. Another problem that clients have when removing images from Google is the fact that many websites contain multiple versions of the same image in different sizes and resolutions.

 These pictures could have been uploaded to more than one website or edited within the website with a new copy. 

How do I delete images from Google

 Images and text are both subject to the right to be forgotten. Images are also covered by other European privacy laws. Who owns. Google can be asked to delete images from its search results by using the right to forget. 

However, Google may reject your request due to public interest or claim that the image you want removed was legitimately uploaded by someone with the copyright to it. Google may also refuse to remove images from Google search results if you uploaded the photos yourself. Right To Be Forgotten porn videos and images.

How to remove pictures from Google searches with a right to be forgotten

Remove images legal advice

How to facilitate removal of porn images and videos from the internet 

How to take down negative articles from the internet

Who owns my image? Internet law legal advice

Who owns my image? Internet law legal advice

who owns my image? How to remove images from the internet

Generally speaking, English law is founded on the principle that everything which is not forbidden is allowed. For this reason, as there is no specific law that prohibits the taking of photographs of individuals in public places, anyone can take pictures of whatever and whoever they want without breaking any law provided the pictures are not taken on private land.

"Taking photographs and publishing them are two different things. Just because one has a right to take a photograph in a public place, does not mean that they own the pictured individual’s unique characteristics and distinguished features, the image of their body or face. "

However, taking pictures and publishing them is not the same thing. In many instances it might be lawful to take someone’s picture without their consent but yet it will be unlawful to place the same picture in the public domain.

So if you find your image published on an internet site without your consent, you will often have a right to request the publisher of the website to remove the image from their site and if they refuse or if it is not practical to ask them to do so, you can request Google and other internet search engine operators to de-index the page that contains your image from their search results altogether.

Your right to request the removal of your image from the public domain is derived from “a right to the protection of one’s image” which is enjoyed by all European citizens under European Human Rights law.

Under European Human Rights laws, a person’s image constitutes one of the chief attributes of his or her personality. Under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, there is a presumption that an individual has a right to control the use of his or her image, including the right to refuse publication. The right to protection of one's images is part of one’s right to respect for private life.
Unfortunately, internet service providers such as Google and Facebook tend to argue that they have a right to publish images as part of a universal right of freedom of expression and/or because certain images might have artistic value.

Although there is some force in their argument, whenever a conflict exists between two or more human rights, one right has to give way. So when a right to private life is balanced against a right to freedom of expression, under European law the right to private life often takes precedent. In fact, on many occasions, the European court has said that there has to be significant public interest for this not to be the case.

Taking photographs and publishing them are two different things. Just because one has a right to take a photograph in a public place, does not mean that they own the pictured individual’s unique characteristics and distinguished features, the image of their body or face. These are still owned by the pictured individual who has a right not to have them published under their right to private life.
Saying this, individuals have a right to private life even in public places. This is particularly the case when an image of an individual is taken covertly, without their knowledge or consent.
In some cases people I advise complain that their images of an intrusive nature are published online. These might be CCTV stills, or embarrassing images taken of them eating, drinking or doing other activities which might portray them in bad light or which might infringe their privacy.

If you wish to have images removed from Google Images or from any website that appears on Google, Bing or Yahoo searches, you should report the images to the website operators or to the search engine provider and they should take action to remove the images from public view. Often however, you will need a persuasive solicitor’s letter to follow before they actually remove your image from their website or from their index.

By: Yair Cohen
Cohen Davis Internet Lawyers

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