EU targets 'Net giants with "right to be forgotten" proposal

[zappaDPJ]

This rather dull piece of news might well have implications for forum owners somewhere down the line.

As part of its newly outlined data protection reform strategy, the EU says it believes individuals have a "right to be forgotten." That is, people should be able to give informed consent to every site or service that processes their data, and they should also have the right to ask for all of their data to be deleted. If companies don't comply, the EU wants citizens to be able to sue.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/11/eu-targets-net-giants-with-right-to-be-forgotten-proposal.ars?

The EU is seeking public consultation on the issue until the 15 January 2011

Objective of the consultation

To obtain views on the Commission's ideas - as highlighted in the Communication attached to this consultation - on how to address the new challenges for personal data protection (e.g., fast developing technologies, globalisation) in order to ensure an effective and comprehensive protection to individual's personal data within the EU.

http://ec.europa.eu/justice/news/consulting_public/news_consulting_0006_en.htm

While this is obviously aimed at the likes of Facebook etc, I feel this could well filter through to small forum owners.

[Rik]

It could, and would quickly destroy forums, Zap, as threads disintegrated into meaningless, disjointed, posts.

[zappaDPJ]

I agree and then there's the time involved in locating and removing the content. I believe German forum owners already have that burden and are obliged to use forum platforms that cater for that eventuality.

[Rik]

I wonder if, legally, we could make it a condition of joining that they forgo the right to demand withdrawal of data, particularly if we anonymise it.?

[cavillas]

I doubt it Rik.. EU law supercedes all other laws it seems, especially as far as perosnal information goes.

[Simon]

I wonder if removing a persons name from posts would get round it?  How would a person prove they made a post if it's by a Guest, once their membership has been deleted?

[DorsetBoy]

People confuse personal data with posts though. On most forums the average member has a username that masks their identity. If they insist on email/IP address etc. being removed, fine but that does not mean their posts/threads have to be deleted, they can just be marked as "Guest".

Forums in general do not hold personally identifying data for members.

[Rik]

Speak for yourself, Fred.

[Rik]

I wonder if removing a persons name from posts would get round it?  How would a person prove they made a post if it's by a Guest, once their membership has been deleted?

My thinking, Simon, the only weakness being that if others refer to a user's name in their reply, we'd still face a problem. Zap is right, though, most people do not use their real names in forums.