Even after the implementation of the GDPR, restrictions persist on cross-border data transfers. Notably, global websites like google.com, which are not exclusively European, are not covered under the right to be forgotten. This raises concerns and triggers a global conversation about internet privacy, with potential implications for free speech and individual rights.
Published in Chapter:
Navigating the Digital Dilemma: The Right to Be Forgotten, Privacy, and Freedom of Speech in the Age of GDPR
Akash Bag (Adamas University, India), Upasana Khattri (O.P. Jindal Global University, India),
Aditya Agrawal (O.P. Jindal Global University, India), and Souvik Roy (Adamas University, India)
Copyright: © 2024
|Pages: 28
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-0472-3.ch007
Abstract
The 2014 Google Spain lawsuit was a major European Court ruling. It indicated that online name searches yield personal information. Google and other search engine operators must remove or prevent search results that breach privacy rights. The “right to forget” lets users remove their personal information from search engine results. Your internet privacy isn't completely protected. Technology changes quickly, making it hard for laws to stay up. The right to be forgotten is criticized for its deceptive nomenclature and inconsistent application. European websites may remove information, but non-European sites (like the US) may not. This right may also limit free speech. The chapter discusses the “right to be forgotten” from the new GDPR perspective. They are testing whether this right gives internet users more control over their data. It conflicts with privacy and free speech. It's considerably difficult since private firms, whose major objective is to make money, have a say, raising problems about our rights.