The Right to be Forgotten by Google

Privacy advocates and Google bashers around the world are celebrating the fact that a European court has upheld the “right to be forgotten” principle in a court ruling against Google. This is a major ruling and could have big reverberations around the world, but what does it mean?

I will use a Lebanese example to explain it. Remember Jackie Chamoun (pictured), the Lebanese olympic skier who caused a storm in Lebanon for a calendar shoot? She’s a potential beneficiary of this ruling.

Let’s say 5 years from now, Jackie Chamoun decides to become a nun, or a sports teacher for little girls in a primary school in Europe. Before making a final decision, the school headmaster decides to do a google search for “jackie chamoun” and finds out about her photo shoot. Is it fair that she may not be hired because of something she did 5 years ago, when she was arguably a completely different person?

The European Union says no. According to the principle of the “right to be forgotten”, Jackie chamoun can now officially ask Google to remove search results relating to her name, and google is forced, by law, to grant her request.

This is a significant ruling, and like I said, it can have reverberations all over the world. But before we all rush to celebrate, we have to remember that the issue is rather complicated and that there is a flip side to the right to be forgotten: The right to be informed.

Imagine for example our Lebanese politicians who have been warlords and killers in the civil war, decided to clear google search results of all traces to their violent pasts. Will we really be better off for it?