A Japanese court has ordered Google to delete search results linking the claimant to a crime he did not commit, the latest in a series of rulings around the world on what search engines should tell users.

The Tokyo District Court this week placed a provisional order that Google delete about half of 237 entries that appear after the plaintiff's name is entered, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper and other local media reported.

Google has been ordered to delete search results linking a man to a crime he did not commit. Credit:Reuters

The man requested the injunction in June, arguing that these search results suggest he was involved in a crime and that this constitutes a threat to his current way of life and compromises his privacy, the Asahi said.

The ruling comes after the EU's top court said in May that individuals have the right to ask Google to delete personal data produced by its search engine.