Every year, many incarcerated people in the United States finish their sentences. But even after they leave jail or prison, their time is never truly done if there are news articles about their arrest or conviction. They have to serve a sentence for life in the court of public opinion because of search results that still pop up long after they’ve done their time. As a result, they struggle to find employment, find it difficult to make friendships, and live in fear of others finding out. Their families suffer too.
I propose having a version of Europe’s right to be forgotten law in the United States, where citizens can request that search engines de-index search results with their names.
Yes, we have the first amendment in this country. That’s what makes the USA the USA. But I think there needs to be some sort of option for incarcerated people who have done their time to no longer have to be judged 24/7 in the eyes of society due to search results. This law wouldn’t force news publications to remove the stories—it would simply give citizens the option to ask search engines to de-list search results about them. Many people make mistakes, especially when they’re young. Their time in jail or prison is their punishment. They shouldn’t be punished for life because of search results.