Press Release: Advocate General’s Opinion in Case C-131/12. Google Spain SL, Google Inc. v Agencia Española de Protección de Datos, Mario Costeja González

Advocate General Jääskinen considers that search engine service providers are not responsible, on the basis of the Data Protection Directive, for personal data appearing on web pages they process.

National data protection legislation is applicable to them when they set up an office in a Member State which orientates its activity towards the inhabitants of that State, so as to promote and sell advertising space, even if the technical data processing takes place elsewhere.