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IS THERE A “FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO FORGET?”

Bruxelles – 20 May 2009

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Right to forget vs. Right to be forgotten: two different rights, or two different features of the

same right?

Two different concepts:– Right to forget: right not to be accountable for one’s

conduct after a certain amount of time and beyond a given framework of relationships

– Right to be forgotten: right not to see one’s past coming back forever

– These concepts, in particular the latter one, raise three main questions: until when, to what extent, and by whom Should our past be known Should a person be accountable for past conduct Should past conduct be made known, also to entities other than

those entitled to know because of the specific tasks discharged and/or because of their relationships with the data subject

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International instruments and Community law: the foundations of the rights protecting personal

identity and dignity

Article 8 ECHR, CoE Convention 108/81, Directive 95/46/EC, Charter of Fundamental Rights (Nice), Lisbon Treaty (article 16 TFEU, article 39 TEU, article 6 on CFR binding nature): the foundations of the right to data protection

In particular: the Directive highlights the relationship between identity, human dignity and data protection the Directive can regulate personal identity seen as a feature of the relationship between individual and society

Identity is a dynamic concept: past information may kept to the extent it is functional to the relationship between individual and society

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Directive 95/46/EC

• The Directive sets out limitations and conditions for the processing of personal data (lawfulness, purpose limitation, proportionality)

• In particular: Conditions for lawful processing (consent, performance of contract, legal obligation, public interest)

• Data subjects’ rights: information (10,11), access, rectification, erasure (12), objection (14)

• In this context, right to forget and right to be forgotten are regulated by data protection principles: the information on one’s past may be kept and used if it is necessary for the data subject’s rights/expectations

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The public interest

The Directive contains provisions that highlight the public interest in processing personal data (whether past or present):

– Historical, statistical, scientific purposes (with safeguards);– Journalistic purposes, artistic/literary expression;– Ordre public (security, defence, law enforcement) – in the

law. In these cases the scope of protection afforded to

personal data is reduced: the individual’s consent is no longer the main foundation of the processing The individual is no longer fully in control

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The Interests at Stake

Societal interests: personal data may be disclosed to a large number of entities (e.g.: historical/statistical research, journalism) ISSUE: Further purpose of processing compared to collection: Is there a current interest in knowing the data?

Public interests (article 13 directive): special regime on processing mechanisms and data retention Need to check whether “institutional” purpose is to be achieved, especially in the light of recent developments (fight against terrorism, Lisbon Treaty)

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The Interests at Stake: Public Administrative Agencies

Openness of public administration + Need for ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in discharging public functions

Issue: Should there be a limitation on the administration’s right to process personal data for the above purposes?

Directive leaves it to Member States to find a suitable solution. Our DPAs are often required to balance the interests at stake, on a

case-by-case basis Guidelines by the Italian DPA: “After a certain time span, dissemination

of the data via websites may impinge disproportionately on the data subjects’ rights – in particular if the underlying measures/provisions were adopted long before and the respective purposes have already been achieved. As well as ensuring that the data are accurate, updated, relevant and not excessive, a local authority is required to ensure compliance with data subjects’ right to oblivion after achieving the purposes for which the data have been processed.”

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The “Right to Forget” and the Digital Age

New technologies = New issues

– Loss of control on one’s personal data

– Information forever available

– Search engines: fragmented identity; difficult to erase data (Collaboration with Google: cache memory)

– Online archives are much more easily accessible (Decisions by Italian DPA: Online archives of media)

– Trend: Public bodies increasingly publish personal information on the web (to improve efficiency & effectiveness of their work) (Decision by Italian DPA: Publishing of decisions by Italian Antitrust Authority on the Internet)

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The Broader Picture

- The “right to forget/be forgotten” is challenged by new technologies

- In fact, the whole legal framework is challenged (directives, Convention 108/81)

- Need to develop new, international, harmonised approaches (International Standards?)

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The Broader Picture

- We should not do without the right to build up our own identities, even in the digital age

- Issue: Right to limited data retention (How to ensure it? Realistic?)

- “Right to oblivion” Informational self-determination