Radiolab – Right to be Forgotten

Intro

In the “Right to be Forgotten” episode of Radiolab, the hosts explore the ethical and practical implications of whether individuals have the right to be forgotten online. They delve into the challenges faced by newsrooms, the impact on individuals’ lives, and the evolving concept of the right to be forgotten.

Main Takeaways

The Balance Between Right to Be Forgotten and Public’s Right to Know

• The show discusses the tension between an individual’s right to be forgotten and the public’s right to know.
• Newsrooms, like Cleveland.com, grapple with determining which articles to keep up or take down.
• Ethicists argue that negative information may be important for safety reasons, such as when employing someone around children.

Challenges Faced by Newsrooms

• Newsrooms, like Cleveland.com, have had to adapt to the digital age and consider the preferences of their digital audience.
• Increased requests to take down stories have forced newsrooms to reconsider their stance on archives and the permanence of online content.
• Debates arise on whether certain articles serve a public good and have value, and whether negative information should be made public.

The Right to Be Forgotten in Practice

• The European Union established the right to be forgotten in 2014, allowing individuals to request the removal of out-of-date, irrelevant, or inaccurate information from search engines.
• Newsrooms are grappling with how to handle similar situations without the need for legislation due to First Amendment concerns.
• The case of a college student involved in a drug operation raises questions about the permanence of articles that can affect someone’s life permanently.

The Consequences and Limitations of the Right to Be Forgotten

• Deleting information from the internet is not always feasible or effective, and there are unintended consequences for others involved in the story.
• Unpublishing articles and deleting mug shots can significantly impact people’s lives, affecting their job prospects, college applications, and personal relationships.
• Newsrooms are exploring ways to handle unpublishing, including de-indexing articles, but new search tools may pose challenges in the future.

Summary

The Balance Between Right to Be Forgotten and Public’s Right to Know

The podcast explores the delicate balance between an individual’s right to be forgotten and the public’s right to know. Newsrooms, like Cleveland.com, face the challenge of determining which articles to keep up or take down. Ethicists argue that negative information can be crucial for safety reasons, such as when making employment decisions involving children. The central question is whether the value of having negative information made public outweighs the harm it causes to the individual.

Challenges Faced by Newsrooms

Newsrooms have had to adapt to the digital age and consider the preferences of their digital audience. The increase in requests to take down stories has forced newsrooms to reconsider their long-standing belief in the permanence of archives. Debates arise on whether certain articles serve a public good and have value. Ethical considerations arise when determining whether a person, such as a police officer who stole from their employer, should have their name made public.

The Right to Be Forgotten in Practice

The European Union established the right to be forgotten in 2014, allowing individuals to request the removal of out-of-date, irrelevant, or inaccurate information from search engines. Newsrooms are grappling with how to handle similar situations without the need for legislation due to First Amendment concerns. The case of a college student involved in a drug operation raises questions about the permanence of articles that can affect someone’s life permanently. The central question is whether a person deserves to have their name removed and whether enough time has passed for forgiveness.

The Consequences and Limitations of the Right to Be Forgotten

Deleting information from the internet is not always feasible or effective, and there are unintended consequences for others involved in the story, such as victims or witnesses. Unpublishing articles and deleting mug shots can significantly impact people’s lives, affecting their job prospects, college applications, and personal relationships. Newsrooms are exploring ways to handle unpublishing, including de-indexing articles, but new search tools may pose challenges in the future.

Conclusion

The concept of the right to be forgotten raises complex ethical and practical considerations. While individuals may desire to regain control of their personal information, the consequences and limitations of implementing the right to be forgotten must be carefully considered. Newsrooms, society, and individuals must navigate the balance between forgiveness and remembering past mistakes in the digital age.