{"id":15416,"date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/27-05-2021\/right-to-be-forgotten-3\/"},"modified":"2025-10-06T13:39:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T08:09:39","slug":"right-to-be-forgotten-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/27-05-2021\/right-to-be-forgotten-3","title":{"rendered":"Right To Be Forgotten"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>In News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Recently, Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of one of its verdicts from the search engine Google in an important order on the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>\u2018Right to be forgotten and \u2018Right to be left alone.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Major Highlights&nbsp;<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The judgment was related to acquittal given in a drug case involving a US citizen of Indian origin.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Justice Prathiba M Singh highlighted that the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>\u2018Right to privacy\u2019 includes \u2018Right to be forgotten<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> and <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>\u2018Right to be left alone\u2019<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> while asking a website \u2014 <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Indian Kanoon<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> \u2014 to remove the high court verdict link given in a <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> case so that the same can\u2019t be accessed by Google and Yahoo search engines.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Right to Forgotten <\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The right to be forgotten empowers individuals to ask organisations to delete their data.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">It is provided by the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>EU\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a law passed by the 28-member bloc in 2018.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Under the right to be forgotten, users can de-link, limit, delete or correct the disclosure of their personal information held by the data fiduciaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The right to be forgotten appears in Recitals 65 and 66 and in Article 17 of the regulation, which states:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>controller the erasure<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay and the controller shall have the obligation to erase <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>personal data<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> without undue delay\u201d (if one of several conditions applies)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">After a search engine company like Google <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>gets requests<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> under the privacy law to get information deleted, it first reviews and then <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>removes links<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> on country-specific sites within the European Union.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">According to the New York Times, Google has so far received more than 8.45 lakh requests to take down 33 lakh internet links, and 45% of the latter have been delisted.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; table-layout:fixed; width:624px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color:#fff2cc; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; border-left:1px solid #000000; border-right:1px solid #000000; border-top:1px solid #000000; vertical-align:top\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Personal Data &amp; Controller<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Under Article 2 of the GDPR, \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>personal data\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> means \u201cany information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (\u201cdata subject\u201d)\u201d, and \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>controller<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">\u201d means \u201cthe natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">According to the GDPR website, \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>undue delay<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">\u201d is considered to be about a month.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Significance of Right to be Forgotten<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Protect autonomy and right to privacy of an individual.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">It provides protection to the individual\u2019s reputation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Give protection to women&#8217;s interests on the internet, limiting harassment, threats and assault.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Right to Forgotten in the context of India&nbsp;<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>B.N Srikrishna Committee<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> report has laid significant emphasis on obtaining the consent of an individual to process and use personal data.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The committee said consent must be \u201cinformed&#8221;, \u201cspecific&#8221; and \u201cclear&#8221;, and needs to be capable of being withdrawn as easily as it was given.<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">India currently <strong>has no legal statute<\/strong> that guarantees an individual the right to be <strong>forgotten<\/strong>. However, there are some provisions in<strong> India&#8217;s draft <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><strong>Data Protection Bill<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#000000\"> that offer victims legal recourse b<strong>ut the proposed bill does not provide the right to erasure.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Section 27 of<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> the bill has listed three scenarios in which an individual will have the \u201cright to restrict or prevent continuing disclosure of personal data&#8221; or the right to be forgotten, in a sense.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">There are three reasons under which a user can seek the erasure of data.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">\u00a0The data collected\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Has served the purpose for which it was collected or is no longer necessary for the purpose<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">\u00a0Was made with the consent of the data principal (the entity which collects data) under section 11 and such consent has since been withdrawn<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">\u00a0Was made contrary to the provisions of this Act or any other law for the time being in force.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">This is similar to the GDPR law enacted in Europe<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Issues Relating to Right to be Forgotten in the context of India&nbsp;<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Matters of individual data protection are currently seen through the lens of the right to <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">There are two legal precedents on this issue:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">First, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Karnataka High Court<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> ordered the removal of personal details from the judgment, while referring to the &#8220;right to be forgotten&#8221; in sensitive cases involving women in general.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">Second, the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>Gujarat High Court<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> rejected the request for \u201cpermanent restraint (on) free public exhibition of the judgment and order\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">These two cases present a glimpse into the <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>legal challenges<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> the proposed law may face, in case it clears parliamentary procedure.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>biggest challenge<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> in implementing this <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>right is the trade-off between defamation and freedom of expression.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The right to be forgotten comes within the purview of the right to privacy, which would be at odds with<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong> Article 19(1)(a)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> \u2014 freedom of speech and expression,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong><u>Way Forward&nbsp;<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">There should be a balance <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>between the right to privacy and protection of personal data (as covered under Article 21<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"> of the Indian constitution) and the freedom of information of <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\"><strong>internet users (under Article 19).<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#000000\">The data protection authority would need a big workforce, and it must be ensured this agency receives sufficient resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size:11pt\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\">Source: TOI<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News Recently, Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of one of its verdicts from the search engine Google in an important order on the \u2018Right to be forgotten and \u2018Right to be left alone. Major Highlights&nbsp; Right to Forgotten &nbsp; Personal Data &amp; Controller&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Under Article 2 of the GDPR, \u201cpersonal data\u201d means [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15417,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[31,30],"class_list":["post-15416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-government-policies-interventions","tag-gs-2"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/208611current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15416"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56114,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15416\/revisions\/56114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}