UK Privacy Watchdog: 'Right To Be Forgotten' On the Web Unworkable

An anonymous reader writes "Want to be invisible to Google? Apparently you can't, at least according to the European Commission and Information Commissioner's Office. '"The right to be forgotten worries us as it makes people expect too much," said [deputy commissioner David Smith]. Instead, Smith said the focus should be on the "right to object" to how personal data is used, as this places the onus on businesses to justify the collection and processing of citizens' data. "It is a reversal of the burden of proof system used in the existing process. It will strengthen the person's position but it won't stop people processing their data." EC data protection supervisor Peter Hustinx added the right to be forgotten is currently unworkable as most countries are divided on what qualifies as sensitive personal data. "I believe the right to be forgotten is an overstatement," said Hustinx."

Comments

Your real right

[myforwik]

Is not to use a service with terms and conditions you don't agree with. You have no right to be tracked any more than you have 'right' to a job or a home as per the UN declaration of human rights. What they are really talking about isn't rights, but socialist ideals. Enforcing rights like this just reduces competition. If you don't like what google does, go somewhere else. Forcing them not to track everyone just hurts those who benefit from tracking in terms of services remaining free and of high quality and speed. Why should they suffer because you are careless with your provacy?

Re:unworkable? care to elaborate, corporate world?

[AlphaWolf_HK]

Well how does one become forgotten IRL?

Mr. Burns: Smithers, get the amnesia ray.
Smithers: You mean the revolver, sir?
Mr. Burns: Yes, and be sure to wipe your mind clear when you're done as well.

Sure, online you can delete database entries and whatnot...but some of this information isn't even personally identifiable first of all, and second of all, how is the law going to chase down every single database entry in the world?

France just sued twitter for 50 million because they wouldn't reveal the identities of some people who made anti-semetic tweets. Twitter told them to fuck off (and rightly so, free speech shouldn't be limited to that which does not offend, IMO) and there isn't a damn thing France can do about it. What makes the EU think they can go around systematically scrubbing every disk in the world willy nilly?