right to be forgotten


right to be forgotten

The prerogative to have personal information removed from an online source, especially if it was obtained without permission. In 2014, Europe's high court ruled that people can have irrelevant information expunged from search engines. In 2015, California enacted a similar law for minors who are residents of the state. In the U.S., many people argue that the right to be forgotten conflicts with the highly cherished "freedom of speech."

Forgotten vs. Privacy
The right to be forgotten deals with information that has already been made public, whereas privacy laws pertain to information that cannot be disclosed without authorization. See privacy.