"Right to be Forgotten" in Kosovo – A Case Study on Citizens' Awareness of This Right

Abstract

"Right to be forgotten", as a legal right that allows individuals to request the removal of personal information from the internet search results, has recently gained particular importance due to the development of the internet and exposure of personal data to the media. In this context, this paper aims at analyzing the practical and theoretical aspects of the respective topic and the level of citizens' knowledge over the "right to be forgotten". In practical terms, the study analyzes decisions of the competent institutions regarding this right, based on the complaints they have received. This will help to understand how the respective right is being implemented in practice. In theoretical terms, the paper argues different perspectives of this right. Moreover, citizens' knowledge about the "right to be forgotten" is presented and analyzed through a survey carried out with 513 respondents in seven regions of Kosovo. The results of the research show that only a small part of the respondents is familiar with the right to be forgotten on the internet. The majority said that they were not informed and had no idea where to address the issue in case their personal data are published without their permission, or not removed when there is no interest and the data would no longer be necessary vis-a vis the purposes they had been collected.