Delhi HC to hear 'right to be forgotten' petitions in February

The Delhi High Court has listed a batch of petitions that request the removal of online content by invoking the "right to privacy" and the "right to be forgotten", for hearing in February 2024.

Justice Navin Chawla granted time for the parties to complete the pleadings and allowed the Internet Freedom Forum to intervene by filing written submissions.

One petitioner urged the court to direct search engine Google to block search results related to certain allegations against him in a criminal case since a closure report was filed by the investigating agency.

Google opposed this request, stating it cannot act as a censor or whitewash history.

The judge noted that while the information published by websites might have been true at the relevant time, it was now incomplete in the face of a subsequent closure report.

The petitioners include reality show celebrity Ashutosh Kaushik, who seeks the removal of videos, photos, and articles related to him from various online platforms, invoking the "right to privacy" and the "right to be forgotten".

Some petitions also concern the removal of court orders from websites.

The court has listed the matter for the next hearing on 12 and 13 February, 2024.