Request to remove outdated stories from Google

The Bangor Daily News reviews requests to remove old crime stories from Google. (More context here.)

Here are some stipulations: 

— This policy does not include anyone considered a public figure.

— We won’t remove stories that detail corruption or serious or violent crimes, such as murder, armed robbery or sexual assault. The same applies to crimes against children.

— We’ll only block stories about misdemeanors that were published at least 5 years ago. For felonies, that’s 10 years. We’re basing that on the deadlines set by the Maine court system for the destruction of old documents.

— This is aimed at helping individuals to move on from past mistakes, not to help companies improve their public relations. 

— Because the context of each case varies, we reserve the right to deny any request.