Right to be forgotten and online newspapers archives: some considerations on social memory in our times

Abstract

Inspired by a recent decision of the Italian Data Protection Authority, the article examines the issues related to the right to be forgotten in relation to the newspapers archives available on the Internet.
This particular case is presented as a concrete example of the need to find a form of balance between the right to privacy and the right to historical research; it is also a particularly significant example of how the concept of memory is changing in the contemporary world.
The article ends with a proposal for a more controlled access to online newspapers archives, not for the purpose of censoring the documents contained in them, but to inform users about the legal consequences of their activity.