Critics say that if search engine knows of illegal activity, it shouldn't help to send business its way

Google's decision to allow users to easily de-list certain personal information from search results has infuriated a film and music industry that argues the internet giant should act as decisively to help squash digital piracy.

On Friday Google bowed to an EU privacy ruling, dubbed the "right to be forgotten", launching a webpage where European citizens can request links to information about them be taken off search results.

The move came a day after Google had been lambasted for not doing enough to curb online piracy in a report by David Cameron's intellectual property adviser, Mike Weatherley.

Critics say that Google drags its feet over carrying out measures such as stripping pirate websites from its search results, yet the move to allow users the "right to be forgotten" proves it can take serious action if it is forced.

"It's 'Don't be Evil' 101," says Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the music industry's trade body, the BPI. "The principle at stake here is when you know someone is acting illegally, you shouldn't continue helping them by sending them business."

Google is extremely reluctant to fiddle with its algorithm, the golden goose that underpins a $383bn global operation, but has been known to do so to protect its business. Companies including Rap Genius have seen a traffic-killing demotion in web listings as punishment by Google for breaking its search marketing rules.

"Google say they don't want to interfere with their algorithm," says Taylor. "But the algorithm is not a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is written by Google engineers, they choose how it operates and whether to act ethically and responsibly or not."

Meanwhile Taylor says the music industry continues to be ravaged, with more than 1bn illegal track downloads last year worth in excess of £300m.

Dealing with Google is often a fraught process, Taylor adds, and the illegal websites reappear in the same, or a slightly different, guise almost immediately after they are taken down.

The BPI made 4.6m requests to Google to remove pirate websites from its listings in the past month alone.

Weatherley's report, which made a series of recommendations to business secretary Vince Cable, said market leader Google had to acknowledge the important role it plays in funnelling traffic to illegal sites. However, the MP also defended Google, pointing out that the search engine industry is not to blame for piracy. Just 13% of illegal downloaders use search engines, including Google, to access music sites, and 8% for film sites, according to snapshot research by Ofcom. Yet Ofcom recognises there is a major issue, with 50% of internet users who downloaded or streamed films in a three-month period doing so without paying.

Google defenders point out that serious piracy is done by a hardcore of users – Ofcom says 1.6% of UK internet users account for 79% of all illegal activity – and by no means the public at large that use its search engine. "If Google stopped listing all of the top pirate sites, people would still find them," says John Enser, partner at Olswang. "Their issue is about due process and the need to ensure that the amount of stuff taken down is not damaging free speech."

Google has been accused of being slow to react, and a report from the culture select committee last September branded its anti-piracy efforts to date as "derisorily ineffective".

"We have been calling for a long time for Google in particular to be more proactive in dealing with the issue of illegal content in its search results," says Taylor.

One industry source says there was a time when Google did have an arrogant "swagger" toward rights holders and content protection. However the company is much more proactive now, taking down 23m illegal web links in the last month alone.

Google spends tens of millions of pounds on technology to tackle piracy and says it is a major supporter of the "Follow The Money" initiative, choking off the vital revenue from advertising that pirate sites depend on. "Google is committed to tackling piracy and our action is industry-leading," said a Google spokesman.

Chris Marcich, president of the European arm of the Hollywood studio lobbying group MPA, points out that the piracy and privacy issues are part of a much bigger battle that Google is waging. "The more fundamental issue is that Google is fighting hard to try to preserve the illusion of neutrality – that they are an intermediary that doesn't interact with services they provide," he says.

"They are doing this because they don't want to be responsible for what goes on with their services. I don't think that is tenable long term.

"Google is very central in our daily lives, they are de facto the only real search engine in Europe and as such have a greater responsibility to make sure the law is respected."