// Netherlands · Right to be forgotten
Surgeon's bid to erase disciplinary records from Google search fails at court
Hoge Raad ·
ECLI:NL:HR:2022:329
The case
A plastic surgeon requested Google to remove search results about her disciplinary suspension based on the GDPR. The Supreme Court rejected the appeal, ruling that the right to freedom of information outweighs her privacy interests, particularly because the information is of public interest for patient safety.
What the court considered
- 01The right to freedom of expression and information of Google and third parties outweighs the petitioner's privacy rights
- 02The links to information about the disciplinary measure are strictly necessary to protect the right to freedom of information
- 03Even under Article 10 GDPR (sensitive data), the balancing test would not have led to a different outcome
- 04The court applied the correct standard by weighing all relevant elements and the severity of the privacy rights infringement
What this means in practice
Healthcare providers cannot easily enforce the removal of search results concerning disciplinary measures. Information about disciplinary procedures remains accessible for patients wishing to verify doctors. This reinforces the public accountability obligation of healthcare professionals. This ruling clarifies that the 'right to be forgotten' is limited when information concerns matters of public interest, specifically regarding disciplinary measures in healthcare. It demonstrates the boundaries of privacy rights in relation to transparency regarding professional practitioners.
Legal basis
- Artikel 17 AVG (recht op vergetelheid)
- Artikel 10 AVG (bijzondere categorieën persoonsgegevens)
- Artikel 47 Handvest van de Grondrechten EU
- Artikel 79 AVG (recht op doeltreffende voorziening in rechte)
- Artikel 289 Rv (proceskosten in verzoekschriftprocedures)
Related rulings
- French top court: naming person in article on criminal conviction may standFrance · 3 June 2026
- Dutch real estate entrepreneur loses bid to remove criminal conviction article from Google search resultsNetherlands · 28 August 2025
- Google Defeats Legal Firm's Search Ranking Complaint Over Casino TermsNetherlands · 28 May 2025
- Court Denies Wealthy Heir's Bid to Scrub Criminal Past From Google Search ResultsNetherlands · 26 March 2024
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