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Google generally will not remove a news article from its search results just because it is unflattering or old. The most effective way to remove a news article from Google is to get the publisher to remove, update or anonymize it at the source, then use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool so the search result catches up. Google’s own removal policies are narrower, covering things like exposed personal contact information, sites that charge for removal, and content a court has found unlawful.
This guide covers each option in the order that usually works, along with the legal routes available when the content is false.
Google’s help pages make an important point clear: Google can only remove things from Google Search. Even when Google delists a result, the page stays on the website that hosts it, and people can still reach it through a direct link, social media, or a different search engine. Google recommends contacting the site owner first, because removal at the source is more effective than delisting alone. For a broader overview of source-level options, see our guide on how to remove content from the internet.
U.S. news organizations are generally not legally required to take down accurate reporting, so a request to a publisher is exactly that: a request. Newsroom practices vary widely. Some outlets have created formal programs. In 2018, Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer began what their editor called a right-to-be-forgotten experiment for reports of past minor crimes, and in January 2021 The Boston Globe announced a Fresh Start initiative under which it considers requests to update or anonymize older coverage of minor offenses. The Globe’s program is not aimed at coverage of serious crimes.
A request is more likely to get a serious look when it:
Once a publisher deletes or edits an article, Google’s results may still show the old title, description or cached version for a while. Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool exists for this situation: you submit the URL of a page that has been removed or changed (or the image link for an outdated image result), and Google updates or drops the stale result. You can track requests in the Refresh outdated content section of Search Console. The tool is not a way to remove a page that is still live and unchanged.
Google’s Results about you tool lets you find search results that show your phone number, home address or email address, and in some cases government ID numbers, and request their removal. You can also turn on notifications so Google alerts you when new results match your information. Google reviews each request against its policies.
Separately, Google’s personal information policies allow removal requests for categories including:
These policies are designed for sensitive personal data, not for news coverage. Google weighs public interest and newsworthiness in reviewing requests, which is why an ordinary news article rarely qualifies.
When content is not covered by Google’s policies, Google’s Legal Help Center handles removal requests based on specific legal grounds, such as copyright infringement, trademark issues, defamation and court orders. Google’s defamation overview asks for the exact URLs, an explanation of how the content relates to you, and why the statements are false. Google is also frank that it is not in a good position to decide whether claims are true, since unlike a court it cannot call witnesses or take sworn evidence. A court ruling in your favor strengthens a request. When Google does act on a defamation request, it may restrict the result only in the jurisdiction where the content is considered unlawful.
For court orders, Google accepts only valid orders signed by a judge, and it may remove content if the order identifies specific URLs and indicates the content violates the law. Google may share legal notices with Lumen, a research project at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center, so a request can itself become publicly visible. Getting that order typically means a defamation claim against the author or publisher. Section 230 protects platforms from liability for content provided by someone else; it does not shield a news outlet from claims over articles it writes itself. Our guide to removing defamatory content from the internet explains how these cases proceed.
An expungement or sealing order changes the status of your court record, but it does not by itself require a newspaper to delete an article or Google to drop a search result. It is still valuable. Expungement documentation gives an editor a concrete reason to update or anonymize old coverage, and Cleveland.com’s early program required it. It can also support requests to mugshot and records sites, and sites that demand payment to remove content may fall under Google’s exploitative removal practices policy.
People often ask why they cannot use the right to be forgotten in the United States. In Google Spain v. AEPD and Costeja González (Case C-131/12, May 13, 2014), the Court of Justice of the European Union held that search engines can be required to remove links to personal information from name searches when the information is inadequate, irrelevant, no longer relevant or excessive, even when the underlying publication was lawful. Article 17 of the GDPR later set out a right to erasure, with an exception where processing is necessary for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information. U.S. law has no general equivalent. For more, see our post on the right to be forgotten online.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a copyright tool. A valid takedown notice under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3)(A) must identify the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed. Being the subject of an article does not give you a copyright in it, so a DMCA notice cannot remove reporting you dislike. If an article reproduces a photo you own, a notice may address that photo, but not the story. Misusing the process carries risk: § 512(f) makes a person who knowingly and materially misrepresents that material is infringing liable for resulting damages, including attorney’s fees. Our explainer on DMCA takedown notices covers when the process does apply.
When the problem is not a news outlet but a person posting false statements, the options are more direct:
Weigh anti-SLAPP statutes before filing. In states that have them, a defendant sued over speech on a matter of public interest can seek early dismissal and, in some states, attorney’s fees.
Usually not directly. Google rarely delists news articles because they are unflattering, and delisting would not remove the article from the publisher’s website anyway. The most effective approach is to ask the publisher to remove, update or anonymize the article, then use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool so the search result reflects the change. Content a court has found unlawful can be submitted through Google’s Legal Help Center.
It updates or removes search results that no longer match the live page. If a publisher deleted or edited an article but Google still shows the old title, description or cached version, you can submit the URL through the tool, or an image link for outdated image results, and track the request in Search Console. It does not remove pages that are still live and unchanged.
Results about you helps you find and request removal of search results showing your personal contact information, such as your phone number, home address or email address, and in some cases government ID numbers. You can turn on notifications for new matching results. Google reviews each request under its policies, and removal from search does not delete the information from the website that hosts it.
No, unless the article copies something you own. A DMCA notice must identify a copyrighted work that has been infringed, and being the subject of an article does not give you a copyright in it. If the article reproduces your own photo, a notice may address the photo. Knowingly misrepresenting that material is infringing can create liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).
Preserve evidence, confirm the statements are false factual claims rather than opinions, and report the content under the platform’s policies. A demand letter may resolve it. If not, a defamation claim can lead to an order requiring removal of statements found defamatory, which you can then present to Google and the platforms. Consider anti-SLAPP risks before filing, and contact law enforcement if threats are involved.
The order of operations matters. A poorly framed request to a publisher, a DMCA notice that does not fit, or a lawsuit filed without assessing anti-SLAPP exposure can make an unwanted article more visible, not less. The strongest results usually come from working at the source first and using Google’s tools and legal processes to follow through.
If a news article, search result or false online statement is affecting your reputation, the internet defamation and online reputation attorneys at Revision Legal can help you evaluate your options, including privacy-based removal requests. Contact us through the form on this page or call (855) 473-8474.
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