A Study on the right to be forgotten in Digital Information Societies

In the case of uploading privacy information of an information owner in the Internet, the information owner may want to deliver the privacy information itself or remove such information from the search list in order to prevent third parties from accessing the privacy information of the information owner. Such a right to be forgotten may collide with the freedom of expression of a third party. The right to be forgotten, which originates from the self-determination right on privacy information based on Article 10 and 17 of the Constitution and the freedom of expression, which is based on Article 21 thereof are all relative basic rights and are both limited by Item 2 under Article 37 of the same law, which is the general limitation provision for the basic rights. Therefore, when the right to be forgotten and the freedom of expression collides, it is not possible to give priority to one of the those unilaterally. It depends on the nature of the case at hand to find a natural balance for the harmonious solution for both parties. The criteria can be the sensitivity to the privacy of the information owner caused by the disclose of the privacy information, the public benefits such information may serve, the social common good that could be expected by the disclosure of the privacy information and the damages suffered in terms of the personal interest caused by the disclosure of the information, in a comprehensive manner.