Bing Right to be Forgotten UK, practical guide to blocking search results for your name
Last reviewed: 5 September 2025
Quick answer
- Scope, UK and EU only: You can ask Bing to block results for searches of your name where data is inaccurate, inadequate, no longer relevant or excessive. Content on the source site usually remains live.
- What Bing checks: The criteria above and a public interest balance.
- What you must provide: Exact URLs, the search name, proof of identity, your country of residence, and whether the subject is a public figure or holds a role of trust.
- How to apply: Use Microsoft’s EU privacy request form for Bing. For material you posted to social media, use that platform’s removal tools first.
- If refused: You can contact your data protection authority with Microsoft’s decision and your original request.
1. What the law says, statute first
Article 17 of the UK GDPR, and the equivalent Article 17 of the EU GDPR, gives individuals the right to request erasure of personal data in defined circumstances. Search engine blocking or delisting is one way this right operates, subject to a public interest balance. Read the legal text here:
The Court of Justice set the framework in 2014 and later confirmed that global delisting is not required. Read the rulings:
2. How Bing applies RTBF in the UK and EU
Microsoft provides an EU privacy request to block Bing results for searches of a person’s name. Microsoft explains that it does not control the source websites and that blocking a result on Bing does not remove the content from the web. Start here:
Bing’s form asks for the search name, exact URLs, identity and residence, and whether the subject is a public figure or holds a role of trust in the community. It notes that incomplete forms may not be processed and that processing can take up to 30 days.
3. ICO guidance you should know
The UK Information Commissioner explains when you can ask search providers to delete or block results that contain your personal data, and how to escalate refusals. Read more:
4. Prepare a strong Bing request
- Exact URLs: list the full links, one per line. Keep each submission to one topic with the same basis for removal.
- Your search name: the name as typed by a UK user. If accents or variants change results, submit each version.
- Identity and residence: provide ID and select the country of residence.
- Role in society or community: answer whether the subject is a public figure or holds a role of trust, then describe if relevant.
- Short reasons with evidence: explain inaccuracies, outdated context, disproportionate impact, or other Article 17 grounds and attach proof where possible.
5. Submit your request to Microsoft
Use Microsoft’s EU privacy request form for Bing. If the material is your own social media content, use the social platform’s removal tools first, then return to Bing if needed.
If a publisher has already removed or changed the page and you control the site, use Bing Webmaster Tools to request removal of broken links or outdated cache. For sites you do not control, contact the publisher first.
6. What Bing considers when deciding
- Whether the information is inaccurate, inadequate, no longer relevant or excessive in the context of a name search.
- Public interest, for example professional misconduct, public office or risks to consumers.
- Whether the subject is a public figure or holds a role of trust in the community.
- Whether the URLs and search names match the person making the request.
Microsoft balances privacy against freedom of expression and availability of information. It may consult sources beyond your form to verify the context.
7. If your request is about personal identifiers
For direct personal identifiers such as home address or phone number on a website, contact the publisher first for removal at source. If the content remains in search results, report a concern to Bing using Microsoft’s support route below.
8. Outcomes, what to expect
- Blocked for your name query in the UK and EU: results will no longer appear for your name where blocking applies. The content usually remains on the original website.
- Partial approvals: some URLs may be blocked while others remain. You can strengthen your evidence and resubmit.
- Refusals: Microsoft explains its decision. You can contact your data protection authority.
9. Step by step, my recommended Bing flow
- List every URL and confirm the search name that surfaces it in the UK.
- Gather evidence, corrections and context such as court outcomes or updated facts.
- Choose the correct route, EU privacy request for name searches, contact the publisher for takedown, and use Webmaster Tools only if you control the site.
- Submit via the Bing EU privacy request with a concise explanation and attachments.
- Track the reference and respond to any follow up questions.
- If refused, compare the reasons with the ICO criteria and either escalate or resubmit with stronger evidence.
Need professional support
I coordinate casework at Internet Erasure. Our caseworkers handle UK and EU Right to be Forgotten submissions daily, including complex matters around criminal offence data and news reporting. If you want help drafting, evidence mapping, or escalation, contact Internet Erasure Ltd.
