The Right-to-Be-Forgotten Between Acculturation and Geopolitics: Developing a Different Thinking on Some Common One-Liners

Abstract

The so-called right to be forgotten (RTBF) has been a surprising phenomenon considering the amount and nature of the reactions it has generated in the past few years. What is equally surprising, is that these debates are far from being exhausted both because of its evolving implementation and certain aspects of it that still necessitate to be contemplated upon. This article strives to contribute to the understanding of the RTBF by offering a reflection on some situations in which what constitutes crime becomes a shifting concept and on some aspects of the RTBF debates that need to be looked at through a geopolitical lens to counter the various false arguments distorting the RTBF discourse. To set the scene, it also explores the on-going discussions touching upon the so-perceived tensions between the RTBF and freedom of expression and the question of global de-listing notices. This conceptual-level discussion is constructed on the standpoint that the existence of the RTBF is to be celebrated rather than criticised.

Keywords: Right to Be Forgotten, Data Protection, Privacy Enforcement, Expungement, Censorship, Internet Governance