With the rapid development of modern internet search engines, the actions and words of companies, public figures, and even ordinary individuals can leave a deep and lasting record in the online world, ultimately becoming a label that is difficult for the person involved to remove for the rest of their life. However, when the internet applies labels such as "inappropriate," "incorrect," or "unnecessary," is there really no way to request that the browser remove the article? In fact, the European Union began intense discussions on this topic in 2010 and officially enacted the EU Internet Privacy Law in 2014, which includes the "right to be forgotten" as a key provision.

What is the Right to Be Forgotten? Introduction and Examples of the EU's Right to Be Forgotten

With the development of modern internet browsers, people have begun to realize the profound impact browser data can have on contemporary individuals, even raising concerns about privacy violations. The right to be forgotten traces back to a request made by a Spanish man ten years ago. In 2011, this man asked a local newspaper to delete information about his past debts, which had caused a financial crisis and forced him to sell his property. He argued that the debt had been cleared and that the information was no longer relevant, and it had a negative impact on his personal reputation and credibility. He therefore filed a lawsuit with the local court.

The case eventually went to the European Court of Justice, where the court ruled that the financial crisis caused by the man’s debts had occurred a decade ago and was outdated, and that it had a long-lasting impact on his reputation. The court ruled that Google must uphold the "right to be forgotten" and delete the related report from its search engine. This case officially raised public awareness of the "right to be forgotten."

In 2014, the EU enacted the Internet Privacy Law, which stated that if an article is "outdated," "violates privacy," "contains false information," or has a "negative impact on an individual’s reputation," citizens have the right to request major search engines to delete related articles and data links.

Does Taiwan Have the Right to Be Forgotten? Can Records Be Deleted in Taiwan?

Forgetting does not mean that past mistakes are erased, but rather that society grants an individual the opportunity to start over. In Taiwan, is it possible for records on search engines to be deleted? In fact, although Taiwan has a Personal Data Protection Act, it does not have any provisions related to the "right to be forgotten," and there are very few relevant case rulings. This shows that the people of Taiwan are generally not familiar with this right, and it has not yet gained judicial attention. Therefore, companies and public figures in Taiwan typically handle negative news by covering it with new topics.

However, is it truly impossible to remove articles that harm an individual's reputation online? If you have such concerns, you might want to entrust this issue to Yi Tong Investigation Agency. Yi Tong has extensive connections and professional legal knowledge and will execute your right to be forgotten through their European partners, rather than relying on Taiwanese advertising companies that can only suppress negative news by "washing" articles. This guarantees that your issue will be resolved smoothly.