A Japanese man has dropped a lawsuit seeking the removal of his arrest history for child prostitution from Google's search engine, a district court record showed Monday.
The man's decision comes after the Supreme Court dismissed his demand on a separate provisional injunction made earlier this year, before the trial was concluded at the Saitama District Court. The lawsuit ended on Feb. 24, according to the records.
The top court said in January that the deletion of references can be allowed only when the value of privacy significantly outweighs that of disclosure, the first time a judgment in Japan stipulated requirements for such a request.
The man filed for a provisional injunction aiming for a swift settlement. In December 2015, the Saitama District Court ruled that the man had a right to have his criminal record erased, but the Tokyo High Court later overturned the decision, saying there was no such legal right.
The plaintiff, who had been convicted of child prostitution and fined ¥500,000 ($4,480), said his arrest record can be found by searching for his name and address.
The Supreme Court said the legitimacy of deleting certain information from search results should be judged based on such factors as the degree of damage caused to privacy, how broadly specific searches can be carried out and the social standing of the individuals in question.
Other factors that need to be weighed include the purpose and significance of the news articles at issue, as well as the necessity of reporting real names, addresses and other information about those involved, the top court said.