Right to be forgotten Google form: EU delisting guide

To use the right to be forgotten in the EU, fill in Google's webform at reportcontent.google.com/forms/rtbf, listing each URL, the name people search for and why the information is outdated, inaccurate, irrelevant or excessive. Google weighs your privacy against the public interest and emails its decision; if it refuses, you can complain to a data protection authority or go to court. Delisting removes the link only from searches on your name, and the page itself stays online.

What the right to be forgotten covers

The right comes from the Court of Justice's Google Spain judgment (C-131/12) of 13 May 2014. Under that ruling, a search engine must, in certain circumstances, remove links from results for a person's name when the information has become inadequate, irrelevant or excessive, even if the page was lawfully published. The exception is a preponderant public interest in the information, for example because of the person's role in public life.

As of October 2026, the right rests on Article 17 of the GDPR, the right to erasure, together with the right to object in Article 21. The European Data Protection Board's Guidelines 5/2019, finalised on 7 July 2020, explain how this works for search engines:

A request needs one of the six grounds in Article 17(1), for example that the data are outdated or processed unlawfully, or that you object to their processing.
If you object on grounds relating to your particular situation, the search engine must show compelling legitimate grounds to keep the result; otherwise it has to delist it.
The most common exception under Article 17(3) is freedom of expression and information: the public's interest in access is weighed against the intrusion into your privacy.

Delisting is not deletion: the content stays on the source site and can still appear for searches that do not use your name. Google notes that companies usually cannot delist results for their corporate name, but a lawyer, parent or other legally authorised representative can file for an individual.

Check the quicker fixes first

You posted it yourself. Delete it or tighten the privacy settings.
The page has changed or gone. Use Google's Refresh outdated content tool.
It shows your phone number, address, email, ID or bank details, or it is doxxing. Google's personal information removal policy, including the Results about you tool, applies worldwide, not only under EU law.
You want the page itself removed. That is a separate request to the website, and news outlets can rely on the national exemptions for journalism that Article 85 of the GDPR provides for.

How to file a delisting request with Google

Open Google's right to be forgotten webform. The form is meant for people with a connection to Europe.
Enter the search query, normally your full name. Another name, such as a nickname, needs an explanation of how it identifies you.
Paste the full URL of each page, and check that it appears in results for your name and mentions you. Broken or incomplete URLs are a common reason for refusal.
Explain, for each URL, how it relates to you and why it should go: out of date, inaccurate, irrelevant or excessive. Back this up with evidence where you can, such as a court decision, an acquittal or proof that you left the role described.
Give an email address. Google may email you for more details and waits for your reply before it decides.

What Google weighs

Google's right to be forgotten overview lists the main factors it uses when weighing the public interest against your rights:

Public role. Politicians, senior officials and other public figures are less likely to succeed, especially for content about the role they are known for.
Source. Google defers strongly to government sites and takes account of editorial judgment on news sites, especially for recent articles.
Age. Content overtaken by events, such as a report on a trial that ended without a conviction, loses relevance sooner; no fixed period applies.
Interest to searchers. Client reviews of professional services are likely to remain of legitimate interest; for convictions, Google considers local rules on when they become spent.
Sensitive data. Pages about health, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or religion are much more likely to be delisted.

Google's delisting FAQ names frequent grounds for approval (directory pages with contact details, content about minors, spent convictions or acquittals) and for refusal (strong public interest, duplicate requests, a query that does not match the requester's name).

If the information is false

In TU and RE v Google (C-460/20, 8 December 2022), the Court of Justice ruled that a search engine must delist a result once the requester shows the information is manifestly inaccurate, at least in a part that is not minor. You need only evidence you can reasonably be expected to find and, in principle, no prior court ruling against the publisher; the search engine need not investigate claims you leave unsupported. Thumbnail photos in image results are assessed separately, on their own informative value.

How to ask Bing

Microsoft's Request to Block Bing Search Results In Europe form is open to residents of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the Isle of Man. As of October 2026, it asks for:

the full legal name of the affected person, each search name that produces the results, their country of residence and supporting documents (JPG, PNG, DOCX or PDF only);
whether you are a public figure or hold a role involving leadership, trust or safety, such as teacher or doctor;
the exact URLs, one at a time (search results pages do not count), all on the same subject and with the same grounds for removal;
your explanation of the grounds, and whether you have already asked Bing to block the same URL;
sworn statements that the information is accurate and that you are authorised to file, plus a signature and date.

Microsoft says it may give webmasters details of removed URLs, and that a repeat request about the same pages can take up to 30 days. An incomplete form may not be processed.

How long it takes and what changes

As of October 2026, Article 12 of the GDPR makes requests free and sets the deadline. The search engine must tell you what it has done within one month, extendable by two further months for complex or numerous requests if it tells you so, with reasons, within the first month. A refusal must come with reasons and a note that you can complain or go to court.

Google says it emails you if it needs more information, and requests go through automated triage before any manual review. Delisting applies to Google Search versions for countries that apply European data protection law, and Google may also use signals such as IP addresses to restrict access to the delisted URL for users in your country.

In Google v CNIL (C-507/17, 24 September 2019), the court held that EU law requires delisting on the versions for all member states, with measures that prevent or seriously discourage EU users from reaching the links through other versions, but not worldwide; national authorities may still order global delisting after weighing the rights involved.

Google publishes running statistics on requests and outcomes in its Transparency Report. Its published criteria show that refusals are common, so a well-evidenced request matters.

What to do if Google says no

Re-file only with new evidence. Duplicate requests for the same page and name are a common reason for refusal.
Complain to a data protection authority. Article 77 of the GDPR lets you complain where you live or work, or where the alleged infringement took place. The EDPB publishes a list of national authorities.
Challenge the authority in court. Article 78 lets you appeal its legally binding decision, or go to court if it does not handle your complaint or update you within three months.
Sue the search engine. Article 79 lets you bring a case in the courts where you habitually reside or where the search engine has an establishment, with or without a complaint.

Google Search and Bing are also very large online search engines under the Digital Services Act (see our DSA list), but privacy-based delisting runs under the GDPR. Our Cloud & Data and Policy sections cover data protection enforcement.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Google form for the right to be forgotten?

Yes. Google's free webform at reportcontent.google.com/forms/rtbf handles delisting requests under European data protection law; you list the URLs, the name searched and your reasons.

How long does a right to be forgotten request take?

As of October 2026, Article 12 of the GDPR requires Google to report back within one month, or within three months for complex or numerous requests if it tells you about the extension in the first month.

Does delisting delete the page from the internet?

No. The link disappears only from results for your name; the page stays on the original site and can still be found through other searches.

Does the right to be forgotten apply outside the EU?

Not automatically. Under the 2019 Google v CNIL ruling, EU law does not require worldwide delisting: Google delists on its search versions for countries applying European data protection law and may restrict access for users in your country, although national authorities can order worldwide delisting in some cases.

What can I do if Google rejects my request?

Re-file with new evidence, complain to your national data protection authority under Article 77 of the GDPR, or go to court under Article 79.

Right to be forgotten: how to use Google's delisting form in the EU