A court ruling in Norway has reignited debate over the right to be forgotten after a lawyer helped a convicted criminal remove negative search results. The case highlights tensions between privacy laws and public access to information.
The lawyer, whose name has not been disclosed, filed multiple requests under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation to have articles about the client’s past crimes delisted from search engines. The client had served time for fraud but argued the coverage unfairly damaged their reputation years later.
Legal experts now question whether such actions align with the original intent of the right to be forgotten. Introduced in 2014, the law was meant to protect individuals from outdated or irrelevant information harming their lives. Critics argue criminals should not benefit from a tool designed for ordinary citizens.
Oslo District Court is reviewing the case after a media outlet challenged the removal requests. The court must decide if the lawyer’s actions violated journalistic freedom or if the criminal’s privacy rights take precedence.
The ruling could set a precedent for how Norway handles similar cases in the future. Digital rights advocates warn that expanding the right to be forgotten to cover criminals risks undermining transparency in public records.
Source: digi.no