IFLA Statement on the Right to be Forgotten (2016)

Abstract

The "right to be forgotten" refers to an individual’s ability to request that a search engine (or other data provider) remove links to information about himself or herself from search results. This has also been referred to as the "right to delist," the "right to obscurity," the "right to erasure" or the "right to oblivion." In the media, the terms may be used interchangeably or be differentiated based on legal scope. In this document, the "right to be forgotten" (RTBF) is used as a general term for these concepts and their application. IFLA urges its members to participate in policy discussion about RTBF, while both supporting the right to privacy for individual citizens and assisting individuals in their searches for information.