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Right to be forgotten UK · Reputation management · Updated 2026
Best Right to Be Forgotten Help in the UK — let your past stay in the past
You have changed. Your Google results have not.
Maybe it is a court report from ten years ago. A business that failed. An article written before the charges were dropped. Every new employer, client, landlord or date can find it in seconds, and it still decides how they see you. The right to be forgotten in the UK lets you ask Google and other search engines to delist results about you that are outdated, irrelevant or excessive. United Press prepares strong, evidence-led requests, follows them up, and rebuilds what people find in their place.
- Strictly confidential
- Works within UK law
- Google, Bing & AI answers
- Clients from every country
What is the right to be forgotten in the UK?
The right to be forgotten in the UK is your right, under Article 17 of the UK GDPR, to ask an organisation to erase personal data about you, and to ask search engines such as Google to stop showing certain results when people search your name. It still applies after Brexit. It is not automatic: each request is weighed against the public’s interest in finding the information.
In practice it covers two different things. You can ask the website or organisation that holds your data to delete it, and you can ask a search engine to delist a page so it no longer appears for your name, even though the page itself stays online. Most people need both, plus a plan for the results that cannot be removed.
The ICO, the UK’s data protection regulator, explains the rules in its guidance on the right to erasure, and the legal text is Article 17 of the UK GDPR. If you are not sure where to start, our team explains your options in plain English in a free, confidential review.
Key facts in 30 seconds
- Does it apply in the UK?
- Yes. Article 17 of the UK GDPR gives individuals the right to erasure, also called the right to be forgotten.
- Who can use it?
- Individuals. Google says companies usually cannot delist results for searches on a business name.
- How fast must organisations reply?
- The ICO says within one month, extendable by two months for complex requests.
- Does Google delete the article?
- No. Google delists the link for searches on your name. The page stays on the original website.
- How many succeed?
- The UK charity Unlock reports that Google delisted about 56% of requests in 2022.
- Is it free?
- Making the request is free. Professional help improves the quality of the evidence and argument.
Does one of these keep you awake at night?
People who contact us about the right to be forgotten are rarely famous. They are teachers, nurses, accountants, builders, founders and parents who made a mistake, had something unfair happen to them, or were simply in the wrong story. These are the situations we hear most often.
“I was cleared in court, but the arrest story is still the first result.”
Reports of an arrest or charge often stay online long after an acquittal or a dropped case. Google gives weight to whether information is accurate and up to date, and an outcome that clears you is strong evidence.
“My conviction is spent. Why does Google still remember it?”
Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, many convictions become spent after a set period. A spent conviction is a common, and often successful, basis for a delisting request.
“A company I ran failed years ago. I am still paying for it in every pitch.”
Old insolvency news, director disputes and business failures can follow your personal name. Where the information is old and no longer relevant to your current role, a request may succeed.
“Someone posted my private life on a forum.”
Personal details, health information, family matters or intimate content published without consent are among the clearest cases, especially where sensitive data is involved.
“I gave a newspaper interview when I was young. I regret every word.”
Content about you as a child or teenager carries extra weight. The ICO says organisations should give particular weight to erasure requests about data collected from children.
“Google mixes me up with someone else who has my name.”
Mistaken identity is not always a delisting case, but it is always fixable. We help Google and AI assistants tell you apart with clear, well-linked profiles and coverage.
“I was a victim and a witness, and my name is in the court report.”
Victims and witnesses did not choose to be in the news. Their role in the story, and the time that has passed, are strong factors in their favour.
“A disciplinary decision from years ago is costing me jobs.”
Old professional or regulatory decisions, once the sanction has ended, can sometimes be delisted. Each case depends on your role and how the information affects the public today.
If you recognise yourself here, you are not alone, and it is not too late. Read how we approach news article reputation management, or tell us your situation in confidence.
Could you qualify for the right to be forgotten?
Answer six quick questions. It is not legal advice and nothing is sent anywhere. It simply shows how the factors Google weighs might apply to you.
Your indication
Answer the questions to see your result
Every case is different. A free, confidential review gives you a proper answer, with the evidence that would help.
Get My Free Case Review →Delist, delete or rebuild: which do you need?
People often say “remove it from Google” when they mean three different things. Choosing the right route first saves months, and often money.
| Route | What it does | Who decides | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delisting (right to be forgotten) | Stops a page appearing in search results for your name. The page stays online. | Google, Bing and other search engines, then the ICO or a court if refused | The information is old, inaccurate, irrelevant or excessive, and you are a private individual |
| Erasure at source | The website or organisation deletes your personal data or the article itself. | The publisher or data controller, with the ICO as regulator | The site no longer needs the data, you withdrew consent, or the data was used unlawfully |
| Correction or update | The publisher adds the outcome, corrects errors or anonymises you. | The editor, often guided by the IPSO Editors’ Code | A story is still in the public interest but incomplete, for example a charge without the acquittal |
| Rebuild and suppress | Publishes accurate, positive content that ranks above the old result. | You and us, through genuine coverage and strong profiles | Delisting is refused, the result is outside the UK, or you want results you are proud of |
Most successful cases combine two or three routes. Our guide on how to remove a negative article from Google walks through the publisher side in more detail.
Right to be forgotten, Results about you, or outdated content: which form is yours?
Google has several removal routes, and using the wrong one is one of the most common reasons people wait months for nothing. Here is how they differ.
Right to be forgotten request
For results about you that are outdated, irrelevant, inaccurate or excessive under UK and European data protection law. Google weighs the public interest. Best for old news, court reports, spent convictions and forum posts.
Results about you
A Google tool for results that show your personal contact details, such as your home address, phone number or email. Faster and simpler, but it does not cover news stories or opinions about you.
Outdated content removal
For pages that have already been changed or deleted but still show an old version or snippet in Google. Useful once a publisher has updated a story at our request.
Legal removal requests
For content that may break the law, such as defamation or copyright. These follow different rules and often need a solicitor’s input.
Platform reports
Social networks, review sites and forums have their own rules. A post that breaks them can be removed at the source, which then disappears from Google too.
Bing and other search engines
Microsoft Bing, which also feeds several other search tools, runs its own privacy request process. A Google delisting does not carry across automatically.
Not sure which one applies? That is exactly what our free review answers. For damaging images and videos, see image and video search reputation.
How Google decides a right to be forgotten request, and how to answer each question
Google says its professional reviewers manually review each request and weigh the public interest against your rights under data protection law. These are the factors it lists, with what usually strengthens a request on each one.
| Google’s factor | What it is really asking | What strengthens your request |
|---|---|---|
| Your role in public life | Are you a politician, senior executive or public figure whose past conduct the public may need to know? | Showing you are a private individual today, and that the content does not relate to any current public role |
| Where the information comes from | Is it a court record, a newspaper, a blog or a forum post? | Explaining the source accurately, and where a publisher has since updated or corrected the story |
| How old the content is | Is it still relevant, or has time made it misleading? | Dates, the outcome, and evidence of what has happened since |
| The effect on people searching | Would delisting stop people finding information they have a real reason to see? | Showing the real harm to you and the low value of the result to anyone searching your name today |
| Truth or falsehood | Is the information accurate? | Court outcomes, corrections, official records and documents that show the full picture |
| Sensitive data | Does it reveal health, sexuality, religion, family matters or criminal history? | Pointing to the sensitive category clearly, as it carries special protection |
Source: Google Legal Help, right to be forgotten overview. Google also says none of these factors is absolute and the list is not exhaustive.
The right to be forgotten in the UK for the five most common situations
The same law applies to everyone, but the argument changes with the facts. This is how the main factors usually play out in the situations we see most.
1. Spent criminal convictions
Once a conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the law treats you, for most purposes, as rehabilitated. That is a powerful point in a delisting request, because continuing to show the conviction can undermine the purpose of the Act. The strongest requests show the conviction is spent, explain that you are a private individual, and show the result is unrelated to your current work. Requests are weaker where the offence relates to a role you still hold, such as financial wrongdoing by someone still working in finance.
2. Arrests and charges that ended without a conviction
A report of an arrest or charge without the outcome is incomplete, and incomplete information can be misleading. Evidence that the case was dropped or that you were acquitted goes to the heart of Google’s “truth or falsehood” factor. We also ask publishers to add the outcome or anonymise the report, which helps even where delisting is refused.
3. Old business failures and director disputes
Insolvency notices, failed ventures and boardroom disputes often follow a founder for years. Because they relate to professional life, Google weighs them more carefully. The argument rests on time, your current role and whether the information still helps anyone deciding whether to work with you today.
4. Personal and sensitive information
Health details, sexual life, religious beliefs, family disputes and intimate images are special category or highly personal data. Google lists sensitive data as one of its factors, and these requests are often among the strongest. If the content was posted without consent, removal at the source and a report to the platform usually run alongside the request.
5. Content from when you were young
Posts, interviews and reports from childhood or teenage years carry extra weight. The ICO says organisations should give particular weight to erasure requests about data collected from children, and that this still applies once the person is an adult. Young adults applying for university places, training contracts or first jobs are often the people who benefit most.
And if you are a public figure?
Your role in public life is the first factor Google weighs. Politicians, senior executives and well-known people can still succeed, for example where content is private, inaccurate or about family members, but information about how you perform a public role is much harder to delist. In those cases, reputation management and accurate coverage usually do more than a legal request.
How the right to be forgotten got here
You do not need to know the law to use it. But knowing where it comes from helps you understand why some requests succeed and others are refused.
- 2014
The European court creates the right
In the Google Spain case, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that people can ask search engines to delist results about them that are inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive.
- 2018
GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
Article 17 of the GDPR wrote the right to erasure into law. In the UK, the Data Protection Act 2018 sits alongside it.
- 2018
The first English court case: NT1 and NT2
In NT1 and NT2 v Google, the High Court ordered Google to delist results about one businessman with a spent conviction who had shown remorse, and refused the other. The case shows how much the facts and the evidence matter.
- 2021
The UK GDPR after Brexit
The GDPR was carried into UK law as the UK GDPR, so the right to be forgotten still applies to people in the UK, with the ICO as regulator.
- 2025
The Data (Use and Access) Act
The ICO says its right to erasure guidance is under review following this Act. We track every update so your request uses the current rules.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Where a case needs a court claim, we work alongside your solicitor or can introduce you to one.
Our right to be forgotten service, step by step
A rushed request with the wrong links or a weak argument is easy to refuse, and a refusal can make the next attempt harder. We take the time to get it right the first time, and we stay with you until there is a result.
Confidential search audit
We search your name the way an employer, client or journalist would, on Google, Bing and AI assistants, and list every result that hurts you, with its exact URL.
You get: a clear map of what people seeHonest case assessment
For each result we tell you which route fits: delisting, erasure at the source, a correction, or rebuilding. If a request is unlikely to succeed, we say so before you spend anything.
You get: a written plan and a clear quoteEvidence pack
We gather what reviewers need: court outcomes, dates, proof of your current role, and why the result is outdated or excessive. Sensitive documents are handled in strict confidence.
You get: a request built on factsRequests to Google, Bing and publishers
We prepare and submit each request in the right format, answering every factor Google weighs, and write to publishers asking for updates, corrections or anonymisation.
You get: every route opened at onceFollow-up and escalation
We answer follow-up questions from reviewers. If a request is refused, we review the reasons and help you take it to the ICO or, with your solicitor, to court where the case justifies it.
You get: no dead endsRebuild what people find
We publish accurate coverage and profiles about who you are today, so your name leads to your present, not your past, on Google and in AI answers.
You get: results you are proud of
How long does a right to be forgotten request take?
Google does not publish a fixed deadline for delisting decisions. Organisations holding your data have legal time limits; search engines decide case by case.
Your free, confidential case review and first view of your search results from United Press.
The time limit the ICO sets for an organisation to respond to an erasure request, extendable by two months for complex cases.
Typical time for a search engine to review a delisting request, especially if it asks for more information.
Share of right to be forgotten requests Google delisted in 2022, according to Unlock.
Delisting works for searches on your name in the UK and Europe. Google says it does not apply these delistings to services for countries outside the EU, so results can still appear abroad. That is one reason we often pair a request with rebuilding work.
Eight mistakes that get right to be forgotten requests refused
Most refusals we see were avoidable. If you are applying yourself, check these first.
- Sending the wrong URLGoogle delists exact page addresses. A homepage or a search results link will not work.
- Leaving out the outcomeIf you were acquitted or a conviction is spent, say so and prove it. Reviewers cannot guess.
- Writing an angry statementEmotion is understandable, but reviewers respond to facts, dates and documents.
- Ignoring your current roleIf the result relates to your job today, explain clearly why it no longer does, or why it is excessive.
- Asking for a company nameGoogle says companies usually cannot delist results for searches on a business name. Focus on your personal name.
- Contacting the journalist in angerA hostile email can become a new story. Publisher requests need a calm, factual tone.
- Giving up after one refusalA refusal can be challenged with new evidence, through the ICO or, in some cases, in court.
- Forgetting AI and other search enginesBing, ChatGPT and Gemini may still show or repeat the story. Plan for all of them.
How to make a right to be forgotten request to Google in the UK
You can apply on your own, for free. If you do, these are the steps that give a request the best chance. They follow what Google asks for in its right to be forgotten overview.
- Search your name properly. Use a private browser window, search your full name and common variations, and note every result you want delisted.
- Copy the exact URL of each page. Google delists specific pages, so the address must be the page itself, not the website’s homepage or a search link.
- Check if you can fix it at the source. If you posted the content yourself, delete it. If a publisher can update or remove it, that can be more effective than delisting.
- Explain how each page relates to you. Say who you are, why the content is about you, and the search query it appears for, usually your full name.
- Explain why it should be delisted. Cover age, accuracy, your current role and any sensitive data. Attach evidence such as a court outcome or proof a conviction is spent.
- Submit through Google’s form and keep a record. Note the date and the reference Google sends. Reply quickly if Google asks for more information.
- Repeat for Bing and any publisher you want to update or remove the original page.
- If refused, review the reasons. You can resubmit with new evidence or complain to the ICO.
The five things reviewers look for in your explanation
| Include | Example of what to say |
|---|---|
| Who you are now | “I am a private individual working as a primary school administrator. I hold no public role.” |
| What the page says | “The article reports my arrest in 2015.” |
| What has changed | “The case was dropped in 2016. A letter confirming this is attached.” |
| Why it is excessive today | “The report is over ten years old, incomplete and unrelated to my work.” |
| The harm it causes | “It is the first result for my name and has ended two job applications.” |
Illustrative wording only. Every request should be written around your own facts and evidence. If you would rather not do this alone, we can prepare it with you.
Give people a better story to find
Delisting removes a result. It does not tell anyone who you are today. And where Google decides there is a public interest, the old story can stay. The answer is to publish accurate, positive information that ranks above it: interviews, expert articles, profiles and features in respected publications.
Respected titles rank well on Google and are trusted by AI assistants, so a single strong feature can move an old result off page one. This is the same approach we use for personal reputation management, online reputation management and personal PR, and it works alongside any legal request.
Every placement is honest: sponsored content is labelled where the publication requires it, and we tell you the label and link type before you choose.
Publications we use to rebuild a personal reputation, with DA and DR
These are some of the titles in our current partner inventory. DA is Moz Domain Authority and DR is Ahrefs Domain Rating: the higher the number, the more weight the site usually carries in search.
| Publication | Best for a personal reputation | DA | DR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Insider | Founders, executives and business stories | 94 | 92 |
| Yahoo Finance, AP News & Benzinga | Business announcements and new ventures | 94 | 92 |
| The Independent | National news and personal features | 94 | 91 |
| Evening Standard | London professionals and business owners | 93 | 89 |
| The Times | Leadership and professional trust | 92 | 91 |
| Entrepreneur (UK) | Founders rebuilding after a setback | 92 | 91 |
| IB Times UK | Finance and business professionals | 90 | 82 |
| New Statesman | Thought leadership and public affairs | 83 | 84 |
| Female First | Lifestyle, wellbeing and personal stories | 78 | 72 |
| The Up Coming | Arts, culture and creative careers | 65 | 71 |
| Mark Meets | Interviews and personal profiles | 64 | 78 |
| London Loves Business | London business owners and executives | 59 | 72 |
DA and DR from our partner inventory at the time of writing; scores change over time. We recommend titles that suit your story and audience, not simply the highest score.
Will ChatGPT and Gemini forget you too?
Not automatically. AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Google’s AI Overviews build answers from the pages they can read and from what they learned in training. A result delisted from Google can still be repeated by an AI tool if the original article stays online.
No one can edit an AI model directly, and anyone who says otherwise is not being straight with you. What works is changing the sources AI tools rely on: getting publishers to update or anonymise old stories, delisting what the law allows, and publishing accurate, well-linked information about who you are today.
We test what the main assistants say about your name before and after each step, so you can see the change for yourself. Read more about Google reputation management and how search and AI answers connect.
Who is [your name]?
[Your name] is a consultant based in Manchester. In 2016, local media reported that they were charged with an offence. More recent information is limited.
Illustration only. This is the kind of answer that can follow a name after the case has ended, and the kind we work to correct.
Right to be forgotten help for professionals and families
The people who need it most are often those whose work depends on trust.
Doctors, nurses and carers
Old complaints or tribunal reports that no longer reflect your practice. See our work on healthcare reputation management.
Solicitors, accountants and advisers
Past disputes or regulatory matters that clients still find. Read about professional services reputation.
Founders and directors
A failed business, an old dispute or a press story from a previous venture. Our executive PR services help you lead with today.
Teachers and public servants
Roles with background checks where one old search result can end an application before interview.
Young people and parents
Content from childhood or teenage years, which carries extra weight under UK data protection law.
Victims and witnesses
People named in court or crime reports who never chose to be part of the story.
Facing a fresh story right now rather than an old one? Our crisis PR team can help you respond today. For results from social platforms, see Reddit, Facebook and LinkedIn reputation management.
Why people trust us with the story they want to leave behind
Right to be forgotten work needs three things at once: an understanding of data protection rules, relationships with the publishers who wrote the story, and the ability to build something better in its place. Most firms offer one of them.
- We know how newsrooms workUnited Press has worked with editors and journalists since 2001. Asking a publisher to update, correct or anonymise a story goes better when you understand their side.
- Honest advice, even when it is noIf your case is unlikely to succeed, we tell you before you pay, and explain what can still be done.
- One plan for every routeDelisting, publisher requests, platform reports and rebuilding are planned together, so nothing is left to chance.
- We check AI answers, not just GoogleWe test what ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews say about your name before and after the work.
- Discreet, from first messageMany clients come to us at the hardest moment of their lives. We treat every detail in confidence.
- London office, clients everywhereWe are based at Brook’s Mews, Bond Street, and help people in the UK and around the world whose results reach UK searches.
Want to understand the bigger picture first? Our guide what is ORM explains how reputation management fits together, and our reputation management London team handles wider cases.
Right to be forgotten UK: your questions answered
Still unsure whether you qualify? Send us the links in confidence and we will give you an honest answer within 24 hours.
Does the UK have a right to be forgotten after Brexit?
Yes. The GDPR was carried into UK law as the UK GDPR, and Article 17 still gives individuals the right to erasure, also known as the right to be forgotten. The ICO is the regulator in the UK.
Can I claim the right to be forgotten on Google in the UK?
Yes. Google has a form for people in the UK and Europe to ask for results about them to be delisted for searches on their name. Google reviews each request manually and weighs the public interest against your privacy rights.
What is the right to be forgotten in simple terms?
It is your right to ask organisations to delete personal data about you, and to ask search engines to stop showing certain results when people search your name, where that information is outdated, irrelevant, inaccurate or excessive.
When can a right to be forgotten request be refused?
The ICO lists reasons such as freedom of expression and information, a legal obligation, public interest tasks, archiving and legal claims. Google may also refuse where it decides the public interest in the information outweighs your rights, for example where it relates to a current public role.
How long does a right to be forgotten request take?
Organisations holding your data must respond within one month, extendable by two months for complex requests. Google does not publish a fixed deadline; reviews commonly take from a few weeks to a few months, longer if Google asks for more information.
Will the article be deleted from the internet?
Not through delisting alone. Google stops showing the link for searches on your name, but the page stays on the original website. To remove the page itself, the publisher must delete or update it, which is a separate request.
Can I get a spent conviction removed from Google?
Often, yes. A conviction that is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 is a common basis for delisting, especially where you are a private individual and the information is no longer relevant. Each case still depends on its facts.
Can a company use the right to be forgotten?
Usually not. Google says data protection rules apply to individuals, and companies generally cannot delist results for their business name. Businesses can still correct, answer and outrank damaging results through reputation management.
What happens if Google refuses my request?
You can submit new evidence, complain to the ICO, or, in some cases, take legal action. We review the reasons for the refusal and tell you honestly which route, if any, is worth taking.
Does the right to be forgotten work outside the UK?
Google applies delistings to its services for the UK and Europe and uses location signals to restrict access in your country. It says it does not apply them to services for countries outside the EU, which is why rebuilding your results matters for international audiences.
Is my enquiry confidential?
Yes. Right to be forgotten matters are deeply personal. Everything you share is handled in strict confidence, and you decide how much to tell us at first.
Do I need a solicitor?
Many requests do not need one. Where a case needs a formal legal claim or court action, we work alongside your solicitor or can introduce you to one, and we keep handling the search and reputation side.
You are not the worst thing that ever happened to you. Your search results should not say you are.
Think about the person you have become since that story was written. The work you put in. The people who trust you now. The opportunities you have quietly missed because someone typed your name and stopped reading at the first result.
The law recognises that people change. The right to be forgotten exists so that one chapter does not have to be the whole story. You deserve a fair first impression, and the chance to be judged on who you are today.
Imagine searching your own name next month and seeing the person you are now.
Tell us what you want to leave behind on the short form. Within 24 hours you will receive a free, confidential review with honest advice on what can be delisted, what can be corrected and what we can build. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Start My Confidential Case Review →
United Press · Brook’s Mews, Bond Street, London W1K 4HA · 07447 882377 · Working in PR since 2001 · Clients in the UK and every country
This page gives general information about the right to be forgotten in the UK and is not legal advice.