A Case Study on Content Removal under the UK Rehabilitation of Offenders Act

Issue

Snapdragon Media recently took on a case that highlights the importance of digital privacy in supporting rehabilitation and societal reintegration. The client approached us with a unique challenge stemming from a past conviction. Despite having served his sentence and being legally entitled to move forward, the client found out that online articles from 10 years ago detailing his conviction were hindering his ability to reintegrate into society fully.

The case was particularly sensitive as it involved balancing the public’s right to information with an individual’s right to rehabilitation. Our expert legal team recognised that, having completed his sentence, the client was now legally entitled to pursue a life without the constant shadow of his past mistakes.

What Actions Did Snapdragon Take

Understanding the delicate nature of the situation, we implemented a comprehensive strategy to address the online presence of the client’s past. The team submitted removal requests to 5 major search engines: Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and Qwant Search. The goal was to remove links to articles about the conviction from search results associated with the client’s name, effectively giving him a clean slate when people search for him in the digital world.

Results

Snapdragon Media’s efforts were largely successful. Over 150 links were successfully removed from search engine results, significantly reducing the public’s visibility of the client’s past conviction when searching for his name. While some link removal requests were denied, the overall outcome was predominantly positive, marking a significant step in this client’s journey towards not only his reintegration but also helping others reintegrate.