It’s France vs. Google, round 2.
The European nation’s data-protection regulator has ordered Google to expand its efforts to take down search results that it says violate the privacy of European citizens, according to The Wall Street Journal
Google has been complying with individual requests to take down search entries as long as those search results are not in the public interest. But until now Google has limited that activity to country-specific domains, such as google.fr. On Friday, French regulators said that the company must take search results down across all of its websites.
Thus far, the search giant has resisted such a move, as it does not want individual countries like France to determine the rules for the global Internet. The French privacy regulator could fine Google upwards of $168,000 if it doesn’t comply, although Google could fight the fine in court.