Conditions for Exercising the ‘Right to Be Forgotten’ on Social Media under the 2021 UAE Data Protection Law

Abstract

The ‘right to be forgotten’ represents a facet of the broader right to privacy, encompassing information that was once disclosed but subsequently forgotten over time, leading to an individual’s desire to conceal it from public knowledge. This study delves into the establishment of this significant right, which is inherently tied to an individual’s personal identity. Specifically, this study centers on the legal prerequisites necessary to assert this right. It is noteworthy that there is a dearth of explicit legal provisions delineating the conditions for the ‘right to be forgotten’ within the realm of social media platforms. Given their crucial significance, this study endeavors to identify these conditions through a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework outlined in the 2021 United Arab Emirates (UAE) Personal Data Protection Law. The study encompasses discussions on the concept of the ‘right to be forgotten’, the requisite conditions for its substantiation, the non-mandatory conditions under the law, the implications of meeting the criteria for achieving the right to be forgotten and concludes with a summary of findings.