Since EU laws don't apply elsewhere, Google at first just deleted "right to be forgotten" requested results from its French domain. However, France pointed out that it would be easy to find the info on a different site and ordered the company to scrub results everywhere. In an attempted compromise, Google started omitting results worldwide as long as it determined, by geolocation, that the search was conducted from within France. Suffice it to say, regulators rejected that idea (it would be easy to get around with a VPN) and fined the search giant.

We disagree with the [regulator's] assertion that it has the authority to control the content that people can access outside France.

In its ruling, France's CNIL regulator says that geolocalizing search results "does not give people effective, full protection of their right to be delisted ... accordingly, the CNIL restricted committee pronounced a €100,000 fine against Google." While that's a slap on the wrist for a $75 billion a year company, Google plans to appeal the ruling. "We disagree with the [regulator's] assertion that it has the authority to control the content that people can access outside France," it tells the WSJ.