Learn in the textbookInternational and Adjacent Personal Data Laws — My Number Act and GDPR
DefinitionThe right to be forgotten (忘れられる権利) is the popular name for the idea that you can have your own past information that lingers on the internet removed, or kept out of search results.
ExplanationIt drew attention because old events keep turning up in searches forever, to the disadvantage of the people involved. In the EU, the Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that people can ask search engine operators to remove search results. Because such requests are weighed against press freedom and the public interest, however, asking does not always mean the information will be removed.
AnalogyIt is like asking for an old notice that has hung on the neighborhood bulletin board for years to come down because it has served its purpose. If it is a notice everyone ought to know about, though, it may stay up.
Memory hook"Forgotten" is passive. It is not about you forgetting something, but about the right to have the world (and its search results) forget you.