The EU 'Right to Be Forgotten' Google Judgment

In mid-May, the European Union's highest court, the European Court of Justice, handed down a controversial landmark ruling in a matter commonly referred to as the “right to be forgotten” case, concerning Google. The core of the case concerns the obligations of search engine operators under the EU Data Protection Directive. But at a wider level, the ruling's ramifications go beyond the EU, as it imposes extra-territorial privacy obligations on U.S. businesses. U.S. corporate counsel therefore need to be aware of the legal compliance impact that it may have on U.S. businesses.