Google begins reinstating some links it had removed

London: After widespread criticism, Google has begun reinstating some links it had earlier removed under the controversial "right to be forgotten" ruling.

Articles posted online by the Guardian newspaper were removed earlier this week, but have now returned fully to the search engine. Google has defended its actions, saying that it was a "difficult" process. Peter Barron, head of communications for Google in Europe, was quoted by the BBC, as saying that it was a learning curve for the search engine giant. He said that Google was aiming to deal with the issue in as responsibly a manner as possible. He said: "The European Court of Justice [ECJ] ruling was not something that we welcomed, that we wanted - but it is now the law in Europe and we are obliged to comply with that law." He said Google had to balance the need for transparency with the need to protect people`s identity.