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People don't always like what they see when they Google themselves. Sometimes they have posted things they later regret — like unflattering or compromising photos or comments. And it can be maddening when third parties have published personal or inaccurate material about you online.

In Europe, residents can ask corporations like Google to delete those unflattering posts, photos and other online material from online search results. And under the right circumstances, those entities must comply.

Proponents say the "right to be forgotten" strikes a fair balance between personal privacy and free speech and gives individuals the ability to control their own lives in a world where more and more personal data is collected, bought and sold by third parties.

Critics argue that this right amounts to censorship that cannot be justified in free and democratic societies. The removal of such material in search results, they argue, allows for the suppression of information that the public has a right to know.

At the latest event from Intelligence Squared , two teams tackled these questions while debating the motion, "The U.S. Should Adopt The 'Right To Be Forgotten' Online."

Before the debate at the Kaufman Music Center in New York, 36 percent of the audience agreed with the motion, "The U.S. Should Adopt The 'Right To Be Forgotten' Online," while 26 percent were opposed and 38 percent were undecided. After the debate, 35 percent voted in favor and 56 percent voted against, making the team arguing against the motion the winner of the debate.