A French court has ordered Google to remove links leading Internet users to images of former Formula One top executive Max Mosley engaged in a sex orgy with prostitutes. The images were part of a civil case involving the former motorsport boss and and a UK tabloid that published them in 2008 with a story suggesting that Mosley organized a Nazi-themed party.
Mosley confessed that he was into sadomasochistic activities and that he paid the five women $4,000 for their services. He insisted that the publication of the images were in violation of his privacy and sued the (now defunct) London-based organization "News of the World." The FIA executive won the case and was awarded $90,000 in damages.
Mosley also filed cases against Google in 2011 for the search results it returns, showing the images of the orgy he participated in. The 73-year-old executive thought that the search engine company can do better and wipe out the orgy images from its results.
Deleting images is easy for Google but it cannot do anything with reposted images that makes the situation a cycle of catch-up.
Mosley requested Google to have a technology that will address the problem.
"I think you cannot underestimate that if someone puts a picture on the web that they shouldn't, that will go on forever unless action is taken. As soon as a search engine finds it is available to everybody and the thing you sued over and won over is republished again and again... Clearly that can be stopped and should be stopped in my opinion," said Mosley in an interview.
On Google's part, the company known for fighting for freedom of expression, the decision of the court has a lot of implications.
"This is a troubling ruling with serious consequences for free expression and we will appeal it.. Even though we already provide a fast and effective way of removing unlawful material from our search index, the French court has instructed us to build what we believe amounts to a censorship machine," said associate general counsel of Google, Daphne Keller in a statement.
