France Rejects Google Appeal on Cleaning Up Search Results Globally

Can anyone explain to me how this is different from China or Iran creating a mass censorship filter? One nation gets to decide what can and cannot be seen on the internet?

I guess if you took the most optimistic view and said the right to be forgotten mechanism would never be abused, then a nation might be able to regulate how articles about its citizens are shared online, since it is acting in the interest of French people.

But what if the City of Townsville passes an ordinance banning the use of French on the Internet entirely? Would Google have to comply with that law?