Achieving 95% Success in Deindexing: Insights from Avagard Global Experts

Deindexing removes information from internet search results by excluding links to the site containing it from Google, in accordance with the right to be forgotten. While the original publication remains accessible on the site, it will no longer appear in search results.

In our experience, deindexing is the most effective tool for removing information, provided a specific methodology is followed, which we'll detail below.

According to the law on oblivion, any citizen has the opportunity to send a request to a search engine to remove false or outdated information about him or her or his company without going to court.

In his request, the citizen must provide evidence that this information is not related to him or is no longer relevant. Only such information is subject to removal from the search according to the law on oblivion. However, it is impossible to de-index publications about criminal liability, as well as about an unexpunged conviction and outstanding debts.

De-indexing makes negative information virtually invisible on the Internet, since it becomes unavailable for branded queries or containing the full name of a specific person. This minimizes damage to reputation and other risks, including problems with banking and immigration compliance.

Theoretically, any citizen of the can independently submit a request for deletion on the website of any search engine by filling out the appropriate form in Google, accompanying it with a list of links to be deleted and evidence of the unreliability or irrelevance of the information in these publications.

Further, if the search engine considers the evidence provided by the applicant to be sufficient grounds for deindexing, it removes the corresponding publications from the search results with a note that the link has been removed due to the requirement of the law. If its decision is negative, then the applicant must be sent a refusal with an explanation of the reasons for it. There are cases when the search engine may request additional information or send questions in order to make a decision.

In the latter case, the citizen has the right to go to court to appeal the decision of the search engines. However, according to the Daily Storm publication, only one out of five claims to appeal the decisions of search engines regarding deindexing are satisfied. Moreover, such court cases, due to their small number and, as a rule, the publicity of the plaintiffs, are widely covered in the media and have a questionable effect on the reputation of the person.

For example, in 2018, Yekaterinburg businessman Oleg Cherepanov managed to appeal in court the refusal to remove links from search engines Mail, Google. The businessman wanted to remove from search engines publications about his arrest on charges of kidnapping, as well as his conviction in the 90s and connections with criminal groups.

Despite the fact that the court ordered search engines to remove this information from the Internet, the top 20 includes information about the businessman's legal proceedings with search engines, where these publications are mentioned. The publicity of this case did not particularly help Cherepanov improve his reputation on the Internet. Rather, on the contrary, experienced journalists and seekers of incriminating evidence received a new reason to remember his "rich past".

Despite the fact that any citizen can apply for deindexing on their own, their chances of success are very small. Search engines are not required to disclose data on deindexing applications, but Google periodically publishes statistics according to which only 30% of all applications for the right to be forgotten are satisfied by the search engine, the rest are rejected.

At the same time, statistics on the reasons for refusals to remove negative content under the right to be forgotten are not published, and users do not have a clear understanding of how exactly link deindexing works. However, there is a solution: an Avagard Global deindexing specialist can estimate the probability of success in deindexing a specific link in advance. Write to us and we will promptly assess your situation and offer the best solution.

The reasons why search engines refuse to remove information from the Internet can be very different, and each system has its own features and tricks, without knowing which you can get a refusal and not be able to remove links in this way in the future.

The main difficulty is that there are no clear criteria and requirements for information that can be removed in accordance with the right to be forgotten. The wording of the law leaves room for different interpretations for search engines, especially since there is no clear list of evidence required to remove links that must be attached to the application. The Avagard Global team has deindexed hundreds of publications and knows what wording and evidence are needed for a positive decision by search engines.

Furthermore, Google allows you to remove only publications about specific people, while information about a company is not subject to deindexing. It is important to understand that Google deindexes links only for users in the from the country in which you are doing deindexing. If you use Google in other countries or with a VPN program, the same sites will remain in the search results.

We have been working with the Google search engine for a long time and, taking into account its features, have formed our own approach, which allows us to receive the highest percentage of successful cases on the market. This is especially important, given that you can effectively apply for de-indexing only once. A repeated application has a much lower chance of success. So the user has no right to make a mistake, and it is better to order de-indexing from professionals.

Unfortunately, deindexing on your own or with the help of most market providers has quite serious risks of publicity.

Firstly, in case of deletion via deindex, any search engine leaves a note about it, which can alert users and encourage them to look for additional information, not to mention experienced journalists, for whom a person’s attempts to delete information about themselves are newsworthy in themselves.

Secondly, there is a legal database LumenDatabase, which contains all applications submitted to Google for deindexing links. It is used by journalists to search for information, compliance databases and other companies. It makes publicly available any attempts by a person or company to delete information from the Internet.

Thirdly, according to internal regulations, Google notifies the resource itself that a link to it is being removed from the search engine based on a user’s application for deindexing. Some media outlets use this option to publish this information, again referring to negative material.

Knowing the specifics of each search engine and de-indexing process, as well as having a large portfolio of cases, the Avagard Global team has developed its own de-indexing methodology. Thanks to a combination of effective legal and marketing tools, 95% of requests to the company for de-indexing end successfully, in contrast to the market average of 30%.

The methodological know-how of the Avagard Global de-indexing process allows maintaining the anonymity of the client, sending an application to search engines not on his behalf and without informing the resources, which significantly minimizes the risks of publicity.

The Avagard Global team has international practice and works with all search engines in in all languages ​​of the world. Avagard's Global portfolio includes the most difficult de-indexing cases in Russia, Asia, Europe and the Middle East with wealthy clients and public figures who value high quality and confidentiality.

Deindexing isn't the only effective way to remove irrelevant information online; it's best for removing a small number of items with a limited budget.

Avagard Global offers a range of tools tailored to each client's needs, including comprehensive digital profile management (displacing negative content with positive publications), removal by court order, and direct removal through site administration.

People typically request the removal of inaccurate or outdated information for the following reasons:

1. Professional Reputation: To ensure potential partners, contractors, and employees form an accurate impression.
2. Compliance: To pass banking compliance and migration checks, as international risk systems like World-Check, Dow Jones, and LexisNexis use search engine results. Negative listings can hinder international work, financial management, and travel.
3. Sanctions/PEP Status: To remove PEP status and avoid sanctions lists. Old information about government or civil service affiliations, even after leaving politics, can lead to inclusion on "blacklists."