RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN (RTBF) | QUICK BITES| LAWWISER

The world has become digital and the background of any person can now be easily accessed on the internet with no assurance of such data being authentic. The Right to be forgotten is the right to have personal information available publicly of a person removed from the internet, websites, databases, or any other public platform so that search engines cannot find them. It is an inherent aspect of the Right to privacy and the right to life.

It has been recognized as a statutory right in the European Union under General data protection regulation. But in India, no specific laws and regulations are surrounding it. Personal Data protection bill, 2019, recognizes right to be forgotten. Section 20 of the PDP bill says that the person who generates the data or to whom the information pertains can rightfully ask to restrict or prevent the continuing disclosure of their personal data.

The Central government is also in the process of finalizing the data protection bill which is expected to effectively protect the privacy of individuals. There are some issues with RTBF like- Right to be forgotten sometimes may conflict with the right to information and it can affect freedom of press. But it is not an undeniable fact that the time has come to properly acknowledge this right while balancing the issues related to it.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of RTBF applications before the courts which highlights the essential need for the parliament to enact a proper statute and mechanism governing RTBF in the country.

In this video, Avani Shukla of LawWiser explains what ‘Right to be forgotten’ means and takes us through important judgments on this law. She also talks about important laws covering the right to be forgotten, issues related to this right, and the need for proper mechanisms surrounding it in our country.

To get featured in more such conversations, write us on editorial@lawwiser.com