Old court case, conviction or acquittal still on Google
NetClearer prepares delisting requests for results about past criminal proceedings: old convictions, acquittals, dropped charges and court reports. We base them on the special protection the GDPR gives to criminal data, the EU Court’s 2019 ruling and national rules such as Ireland’s spent convictions law. €29 incl. VAT per link. Google decides, and results vary.
Published · Updated by Pierre Billard, founder of NetClearer
Who this page is for
You were convicted of a minor offence ten years ago and served the sentence. You were charged and then acquitted, but only the arrest made the news. Your name sits on a site that copies court judgments. In each case, a search for your name brings the past back every time someone checks you before a job, a lease or a first date.
Criminal data is the most sensitive kind of personal data in EU law (GDPR art. 10). Search engines must treat it with more care than an ordinary page, and that is the starting point of every request we write.
The EU ruling that matters: C-136/17
In *GC and Others* (C-136/17, 24 September 2019), the Court of Justice said that results about criminal proceedings are sensitive data. When the situation has changed, for example after an acquittal, the search engine must delist the result or at least reorder the results so that the current situation appears first (CURIA). We cite this ruling for acquittals, dropped charges and old cases, and we attach the court decision or certificate that shows the current situation.
National rules we use
| Country | Rule | How we use it |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016, s.5: for adults, many convictions become spent after 7 years (Irish Statute Book) | A spent conviction supports the argument that the result is no longer relevant |
| Sweden | Entries in the criminal record are erased after fixed periods (gallringsregler) | An erased entry is an outdated fact; see also our page on Lexbase and Krimfup |
| Spain | Pardons published in the BOE can be taken out of search engines once their purpose is over | See our BOE and BORME page |
Results vary. The Irish Data Protection Commission often favours court reporting when it reviews complaints (Mondaq). In Ireland, a newspaper once wrote about a delisted report on a conviction, and Google put the result back (Irish Legal News). Serious crimes, recent cases and people with a public role have lower chances. NetClearer is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
How we prepare your request
- You tell us the case, the date and the outcome, and send the documents you have: judgment, acquittal, certificate of a spent conviction.
- You sign a mandate and send ID. We list every result about the case under searches for your name.
- We write one request per result, with the timeline, the current situation and the rules above, and file it the same day you order.
- If the page is on a site that copies judgments, we also send an erasure request to that site. Swedish people-search sites have their own page: Lexbase and Krimfup.
- After a refusal, we can prepare a complaint to your data protection authority; you sign and send it.
Price and honesty
€29 incl. VAT per link, €69 incl. VAT for 3 links. We tell you before you pay if a result has a poor chance, for example a report from last year about a serious offence. No refund once your request has been filed.
Frequently asked questions
My conviction is spent in Ireland. Must Google delist the articles?
Not automatically. The spent convictions law lets you not disclose the conviction in many situations, and it is a strong argument for delisting. Google still weighs the public interest, and the Irish DPC often sides with court reporting. Results vary, so we give you an honest view first.
I was acquitted, but only my arrest was reported. What can I ask?
Ask Google to delist the arrest report for your name, or at least to show the acquittal first. The EU Court said exactly this in C-136/17. We attach the judgment. We can also ask the publisher to add an update about the acquittal, which some news sites accept.
Can you remove my name from court databases?
Official court registers follow their own laws, and we do not file against them. Private sites that copy judgments are different: they must respect the GDPR. In Sweden, the EU Court ruling of 9 July 2026 opened a new route against such sites.
Is the request confidential?
Yes. We share your documents only with Google or the site that receives the request, and only what is needed. We keep case files for a limited time and never publish anything about your case. Court documents you send us are used only for your requests.
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Related services
Google delisting
Ask Google to stop showing outdated, inaccurate or excessive results for your name, under the EU right to be forgotten. We prepare, file and follow up the request.
Learn moreIreland
Directors’ home addresses on SoloCheck and other CRO copies, old court reports after a spent conviction, Google reviews and name results: the Irish routes we use.
Learn moreItaly
Acquittals and dismissed cases with an art. 64-ter annotation, old news, Google, TheFork and Tripadvisor reviews, MioDottore: the Italian forms and websites we handle for you.
Learn moreLexbase and Krimfup
Your criminal judgments listed by name on Lexbase, Krimfup or similar Swedish sites: GDPR requests after the EU Court ruling of 9 July 2026, then Google.
Learn moreOld news articles
An old article still comes up when people search your name: we ask the publisher to anonymise or update it and ask Google to delist it.
Learn moreTell us what is happening. We will take it from here.
Free, confidential assessment. Written reply within 24 hours.