Around 800,000 search results have been deleted so far - a number that is growing by 1,500 to 2,000 per day, according to the latest figures on Google's own website (Photo: Runner1928)

Feature

Nine lines that changed history - at least on the internet

Rule of Law

Digital

Green Economy

by Andreas Marckmann Andreassen, Copenhagen,

Around 800,000 search results have been deleted so far - a number that is growing by 1,500 to 2,000 per day, according to the latest figures on Google's own website (Photo: Runner1928)

"I was desperate," explains Mario Costeja Gonzalez.

The Spaniard, who speaks quickly and with a distinctively hoarse voice, is today known throughout the world as the central figure in one of the most controversial internet privacy cases of all time.

In 2009, he was a virtually unknown company financial adviser. If anyone wants to know more about a person, a good starting point is to google them. This was Costeja Gonzalez's problem.

When googling his name, it was revealed th...