Judge Rules Canada Can't Make Google Delete Search Results in U.S.

Slashdot reports that a U.S. District Court judge has blocked a recent decision by the Supreme Court of Canada requiring Google to delete search results globally. The decision marks a significant win for Google in its efforts to prevent any one country from dictating what can be posted or searched online around the world. The problem began when a court in British Columbia ordered Google to globally block search results linking to sites associated with Datalink Technologies Gateways Inc., which Canadian courts earlier sought to shut down. Google took the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada which affirmed the order, saying that "the internet has no borders." Google then filed suit in the US arguing that that the Canadian order is “unenforceable in the United States because it directly conflicts with the First Amendment, disregards the Communication Decency Act’s immunity for interactive service providers, and violates principles of international comity.” The court order, written by judge Edward J. Davila of the Northern District of California, agreed with Google, saying that the Canadian order violated a federal law giving internet content providers strong legal protections against lawsuits over what internet users post on their sites. The judge did not address Google’s First Amendment claim.