Right to Be Forgotten

What if, with the push of a few buttons, someone could discover your most personal and potentially embarrassing secrets? To some, the question may sound fantastical, but the truth is that with the Internet and social media, personal secrets are more “discoverable” than ever, raising a number of concerns about privacy in the Web 2.0 era. On May 13, 2014, the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union attempted to address these concerns by establishing a legal precedent known as the “right to be forgotten” (RTBF). The RTBF has since become a source of heated debate, particularly in light of its implications for related rights and freedoms. For instance, while some allege that the RTBF supports an individual’s right to privacy, others allege that ...