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Digital Legal Services

Right to Honor and Right to be Forgotten

The right to honor (art. 18 of the Spanish Constitution and LO 1/1982) and the right to be forgotten (GDPR and LOPDGDD) are the two most effective legal tools for defending your reputation against harmful or defamatory content, or information that should no longer appear when your name is searched on Google.

At Remove Group we analyze each case, prepare formal demands to media and platforms, file de-indexing requests with Google and, if necessary, complaints with the AEPD or legal action for violations of the right to honor, privacy and personal image.

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Legal Analysis
Right to Honor
Right to be Forgotten
AEPD and Judicial Route

? Key concept

Two fundamental rights to protect your digital reputation

The right to honor protects individuals against expressions, information, or publications that harm their dignity or social standing: defamation, slander, libel, falsehoods, unfounded criminal imputations, audiovisual fabrications, or unauthorized use of one's image.

The right to be forgotten allows you to request that Google and other search engines stop displaying results linked to your name when the information is inaccurate, excessive, has lost relevance, or no longer serves the current public interest.

Combined, they provide a solid legal framework to remove harmful content from the original source, de-index results in search engines, and claim damages when there has been a violation of privacy, honor, or personal image rights.

Right to honor and right to be forgotten: legal defense of digital reputation

When can you invoke the right to honor or the right to be forgotten?

These are the most common situations in which it is possible and advisable to exercise the right to honor, privacy, personal image, or the right to digital erasure.

Defamation, slander, or libel published in media outlets, blogs, or social networks.
Public imputation of criminal acts without grounds or a final conviction.
Archived old news, acquittals, or sentences already served.
Personal data (ID number, address, photos) published without consent.
Violation of personal image rights, fabricated images, deepfakes, or unauthorized commercial use.
Reviews, comments, or publications that damage personal or professional dignity.
Information about minors, victims, or matters specially protected under data protection regulations.

Right to honor: legal framework and courses of action

Recognized in Article 18 of the Spanish Constitution and developed by Organic Law 1/1982, it protects against expressions, imputations, or publications that harm the dignity, reputation, or social standing of a natural or legal person.

It allows civil action to demand removal or rectification of harmful content, publication of the court ruling, and compensation for moral and material damages suffered, as well as criminal proceedings in cases of serious slander or libel.

In parallel, we manage extrajudicial demands to the author, publisher, or platform, as well as complaints on social networks, to achieve quick results without always having to go to court.

Right to be forgotten: scope and limits

Recognized by the CJEU (Google Spain judgment), the GDPR, and the LOPDGDD. It allows requesting de-indexing or anonymization from search engines and publishers when factors such as the following apply:

  • ›The information has lost relevance or current public interest.
  • ›It is inaccurate, incomplete, or excessive for its original purpose.
  • ›Circumstances have changed (acquittal, dismissed case, sentence served).
  • ›It concerns minors or specially protected individuals.
  • ›It involves personal data processed without a sufficient legal basis.
  • ›If the request is denied, a complaint may be filed with the AEPD.

When honor and the right to be forgotten are combined, the chances of success increase considerably.

4 legal routes to defend your honor and exercise the right to be forgotten

Not all cases are resolved in the same way. These are the four main routes we combine depending on the nature of the content, the publication, and the urgency:

1

Extrajudicial demand

Formal certified letter or communication to the author, publisher, or platform demanding removal or correction.

2

De-indexing on Google

Formal right-to-be-forgotten request to the search engine so the result no longer appears when your name is searched.

3

AEPD complaint

When Google or the responsible party denies the request, a complaint is filed with the Spanish Data Protection Agency.

4

Legal action

Civil lawsuit for violation of the right to honor, privacy, or personal image, with compensation for damages.

F Specialised legal service

Professional service for the right to honour and the right to be forgotten

At Remove Group we help individuals, businesses and brands defend their digital reputation with a service that combines legal expertise, technical management with search engines and reputational strategy.

Legal Analysis and Formal Requests

  • Case assessment from the dual perspective of the right to honour (LO 1/1982) and the right to be forgotten (GDPR, LOPDGDD), with a feasibility opinion.
  • Drafting and submission of formal demands to the author, publication or platform, and preparation of civil proceedings if required.

Proceedings with Google and the AEPD

  • Formal de-indexing requests to Google and other search engines, with legal arguments in line with CJEU and Supreme Court case law.
  • Complaint to the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) when the search engine or publisher rejects the initial request.
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How do we handle a right to honour and right to be forgotten case?

  1. 1

    Legal Assessment

    We analyse the content, the publication, the personal data involved and issue a legal feasibility opinion.

  2. 2

    Legal Strategy

    We define the optimal combination of right to honour, right to be forgotten, out-of-court route, AEPD or court proceedings.

  3. 3

    Filing and Processing

    We send formal demands, de-indexing requests to Google and complaints to the AEPD or courts.

  4. 4

    Follow-up and Resolution

    We accompany the case until the effective removal of the content and its disappearance from Google results.

Do you want to exercise your right to honour or right to be forgotten?

If searching for your name returns content that infringes your honour, privacy or personal image, or that should no longer remain indexed, we analyse your case and design the best legal strategy combining formal demands, de-indexing, AEPD proceedings and, where appropriate, court action.

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Scope: where these rights can be exercised

The right to honour and the right to be forgotten can be exercised against a wide range of parties: media outlets, blogs, forums, social networks, review platforms, news aggregators, search engines and any data controller processing personal data online.

Every case requires identifying the responsible party, assessing the legal basis for the processing and choosing the most effective route: contact with the editor, Google's de-indexing form, a complaint to the AEPD or a civil action for infringement of a fundamental right.

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Scope of application of the right to honour and right to be forgotten on the Internet, social networks and search engines

15+

Countries

50K+

Cases resolved

24h

Response time

10+

Years of experience

We help businesses and individuals worldwide

Our specialists work in global coordination to deliver online reputation management services in multiple languages and jurisdictions. Wherever you are, we generate the local and global impact you need.

Spain • Mexico • United States • Colombia • Panama • Chile • Dominican Republic • Peru • United Kingdom • Germany • France

Your expert in the right to honour and the right to be forgotten

We support you closely, confidentially and with a personalised approach.

+34 911 23 71 13 RIGHT TO HONOUR AND TO BE FORGOTTEN

We analyse your case from the perspective of the right to honour and the right to be forgotten to define the best strategy: formal request, Google de-indexing, data protection authority complaint or legal action.

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Frequently Asked Questions

We answer the most common questions about the right to honour and the right to be forgotten

The right to honour protects against content that damages your dignity or social standing (defamation, libel, slander) and allows you to demand removal, correction and compensation. The right to be forgotten (GDPR) allows you to request that Google and other search engines stop displaying results linked to your name when the information has lost relevance, is excessive or inaccurate. They are complementary and are often exercised together.

It is exercised through Google's European right-to-be-forgotten form, providing identification, the affected URLs and the legal arguments justifying why they should be de-indexed (outdated public interest, excessive or inaccurate information, personal data violation). If Google refuses the request, a complaint can be filed with the data protection authority, and as a last resort, legal action can be taken. At Remove Group we prepare each request to maximise the chances of success from the first submission.

It applies when content spreads false facts or injurious statements that damage your dignity or reputation, especially if the author or outlet does not remove the content after a prior formal request. The claim may seek removal of the content, publication of the judgement and compensation for moral and material damages. In serious cases, criminal proceedings for libel or slander may also be available.

Yes. Courts have recognised that legal persons (companies, associations, foundations) hold the right to honour in its dimension of prestige or social standing. They can pursue civil actions against corporate defamation, fake reviews, smear campaigns or publications affecting their commercial reputation. However, the right to be forgotten in the strict sense applies primarily to natural persons.

If Google refuses the request, a complaint can be filed with the relevant data protection authority, which can order Google to de-index the content. If the authority also refuses, the administrative-law courts remain as an option. In parallel, if the content is defamatory or violates the right to honour, civil action can be brought against the publisher to have the content removed at source.

It depends on the route. An out-of-court request may be resolved in 2 to 6 weeks; a Google de-indexing request in 4 to 12 weeks; a complaint to the data protection authority may take 4 to 9 months; and court proceedings vary between 1 and 3 years depending on the court and the complexity of the case. That is why we usually start with the fastest routes and keep legal action as support or a last resort.

It is not legally required to submit the initial request to Google or the data protection authority, but the legal argumentation makes the difference between acceptance and refusal. For court actions for violation of the right to honour, a solicitor and barrister are required. At Remove Group we work with a specialist legal team that prepares each request and, when necessary, leads the legal proceedings.

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