A recent ruling by Europe’s highest court creates huge compliance difficulties for U.S. Internet companies with operations in Europe and advances the idea that consumers have a right to ask companies to delete data about them.

On May 13, the European Union Court of Justice ruled that Website operators must remove links to obsolete or irrelevant personal information from search engines upon request by European citizens, even if the information is accurate and lawful.

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...