Reviewell guide
A Harmful Article About You: Correction, Reply or Removal
Articles are rarely taken offline on request. But there are real routes: a correction, a right of reply, the press council, or removing the search result for your name.
What to do next
- 01
Separate facts from opinion: only false facts can be corrected
- 02
Ask the publisher for a correction or update, with proof
- 03
Consider a right of reply — in Belgium bound to conditions and deadlines
- 04
Complain to the press council (Raad voor de Journalistiek / CDJ)
- 05
For old or outdated information: a search de-listing request
Correction first
A calm, documented request to the editor — what's wrong, what's right, and the proof — works more often than a legal threat. An update or correction note under the article also shows up for every future reader.
When it's about search
Under the GDPR you can ask Google to stop showing an article for searches on your name when the information is outdated, inaccurate or disproportionate and you're not a public figure in that context. The article itself stays online.
General information, not legal advice. The platform, publisher, host or search engine makes the final decision. Never share passwords or payment details in a web form.