Santa Monica nonprofit pushing Google for 'Right to be Forgotten'

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (KABC) -- Nonprofit Consumer Watchdog is pushing to have search engines remove hurtful or embarrassing material linked to people who have died as part of a concept called the "Right to be Forgotten."

In 2006, 18-year-old Nikki Catsouras was killed in a car wreck in Lake Forest. As part of the investigation, detectives took photographs of the car and Catsouras' body.

But those photos were later released on the Internet and the Catsourss family has been haunted by the horrific images for nine years.

Catsouras' story as well as others has caused Consumer Watchdog to petition the Federal Trade Commission for greater online privacy rules.

"These little bits of information about us that are no longer relevant ought not to be readily accessible with one click," said John Simpson with Consumer Watchdog.

But Simpson said Google is resisting. Google also refused to comment when Eyewitness News asked for a response.

The "Right to be Forgotten" concept has been active in Europe since last year, where Google removed hundreds of thousands of links.