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GDPR Art. 17 EN
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Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’)

In force — consolidated2016-05-04 · CELEX 02016R0679-20160504 · ELI ↗
Version history 2
  • 2016-05-04in force CELEX 02016R0679-20160504
  • 2016-04-27 CELEX 32016R0679
  1. 1.

    The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay and the controller shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies:

    1. a)
      the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed;
    2. b)
      the data subject withdraws consent on which the processing is based according to point (a) of Article 6(1), or point (a) of Article 9(2), and where there is no other legal ground for the processing;
    3. c)
      the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2);
    4. d)
      the personal data have been unlawfully processed;
    5. e)
      the personal data have to be erased for compliance with a legal obligation in Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject;
    6. f)
      the personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1).
  2. 2.

    Where the controller has made the personal data public and is obliged pursuant to paragraph 1 to erase the personal data, the controller, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform controllers which are processing the personal data that the data subject has requested the erasure by such controllers of any links to, or copy or replication of, those personal data.

  3. 3.

    Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply to the extent that processing is necessary:

    1. a)
      for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information;
    2. b)
      for compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
    3. c)
      for reasons of public interest in the area of public health in accordance with points (h) and (i) of Article 9(2) as well as Article 9(3);
    4. d)
      for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) in so far as the right referred to in paragraph 1 is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of that processing; or
    5. e)
      for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Enforcement

Cited in 161 fines totalling €90.1M

Top authority: 🇪🇺Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante) (36) · median fine €7,000 · see all enforcement for Art. 17 →

Connections by provision

17(1) 79 Case Law 13 Guidance 2 Literature .md
Case Law 79
Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 8 January 2025.#Thomas Bindl v European Commission.#Processing of personal data – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies – Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 – Concept of ‘transfer of personal data to a third country’ – Transfer of data when visiting a website – EU Login – Action for annulment – Act not open to challenge – Inadmissibility – A Google LLC v CNIL Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 4 October 2024.#Agentsia po vpisvaniyata v OL.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Publication in the commercial register of a company’s constitutive instrument containing personal data – Directive (EU) 2017/1132 – Non-compulsory personal data – Lack of consent of the data subjec DIGITAL RIGHTS IRELAND LTD V. IRELAND, Digital Rights Ireland Ltd v Minister for Communications WORTEN-EQUIPAMENTOS PARA O LAR SA V. ACT (AUTHORITY FOR WORKING CONDITIONS), 30.5.2013 (“WORTEN”) Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 14 March 2024.#Budapest Főváros IV. Kerület Újpest Önkormányzat Polgármesteri Hivatala v Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Fővárosi Törvényszék.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 58(2)(d) and (g) – Powers of the supervisory authority of a Member State – Paragraph 17(1) – Right to e BGH awards non-material GDPR damages for erroneous disclosure of applicant salary data +71 more
17(1)(a) 3 Case Law 3 Guidance .md
17(1)(b) 3 Case Law 7 Guidance .md
Case Law 3
Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 27 October 2022.#Proximus NV v Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hof van beroep te Brussel.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data and protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector – Directive 2002/58/EC – Article 12 – Public telephone directories and directory enquiry services – Subscriber’s consent – Obligations of the provider of directories and of directory enquiry serv ¶63 Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 27 October 2022.#Proximus NV v Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hof van beroep te Brussel.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data and protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector – Directive 2002/58/EC – Article 12 – Public telephone directories and directory enquiry services – Subscriber’s consent – Obligations of the provider of directories and of directory enquiry serv ¶66 Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 27 October 2022.#Proximus NV v Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hof van beroep te Brussel.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data and protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector – Directive 2002/58/EC – Article 12 – Public telephone directories and directory enquiry services – Subscriber’s consent – Obligations of the provider of directories and of directory enquiry serv
17(1)(c) 19 Case Law 4 Guidance 1 News .md
Case Law 19
Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 4 October 2024.#Agentsia po vpisvaniyata v OL.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Publication in the commercial register of a company’s constitutive instrument containing personal data – Directive (EU) 2017/1132 – Non-compulsory personal data – Lack of consent of the data subjec Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 7 December 2023.#UF and AB v Land Hessen.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Wiesbaden.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 5(1)(a) – Principle of ‘lawfulness’ – Point (f) of the first subparagraph of Article 6(1) – Necessity of processing for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 8 January 2025.#Thomas Bindl v European Commission.#Processing of personal data – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies – Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 – Concept of ‘transfer of personal data to a third country’ – Transfer of data when visiting a website – EU Login – Action for annulment – Act not open to challenge – Inadmissibility – A VwGH - Ro 2022/04/0026 LG Köln - 28 O 168/22 GC - T-318/24 ¶109 Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 7 December 2023.#UF and AB v Land Hessen.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Wiesbaden.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 5(1)(a) – Principle of ‘lawfulness’ – Point (f) of the first subparagraph of Article 6(1) – Necessity of processing for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by ¶113 Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 7 December 2023.#UF and AB v Land Hessen.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Wiesbaden.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 5(1)(a) – Principle of ‘lawfulness’ – Point (f) of the first subparagraph of Article 6(1) – Necessity of processing for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by +11 more
17(1)(d) 28 Case Law 2 Guidance .md
17(1)(e) 1 News .md
17(2) 27 Case Law 9 Guidance .md
Case Law 27
Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 4 May 2023.#UZ v Bundesrepublik Deutschland.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Wiesbaden.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 5 – Principles relating to processing – Controllership – Article 6 – Lawfulness of processing – Electronic file compiled by an administrative authority relating to an asylum application – Tra Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 14 March 2024.#Budapest Főváros IV. Kerület Újpest Önkormányzat Polgármesteri Hivatala v Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Fővárosi Törvényszék.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 58(2)(d) and (g) – Powers of the supervisory authority of a Member State – Paragraph 17(1) – Right to e Unabhängiges Landeszentrum für Datenschutz v Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein Tax data sharing from FIOD criminal probe to Tax Authority not GDPR erasure violation BVwG - W256 2227693-1 Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 27 October 2022.#Proximus NV v Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Hof van beroep te Brussel.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data and protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector – Directive 2002/58/EC – Article 12 – Public telephone directories and directory enquiry services – Subscriber’s consent – Obligations of the provider of directories and of directory enquiry serv Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 June 2022.#Ligue des droits humains ASBL v Conseil des ministres.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data – Passenger Name Record (PNR) data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 2(2)(d) – Scope – Directive (EU) 2016/681 – Use of PNR data of air passengers of flights operated between the European Union and third countries – Power to include data of air passengers Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 16 July 2015.#Coty Germany GmbH v Stadtsparkasse Magdeburg.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Intellectual and industrial property — Directive 2004/48/EC — Article 8(3)(e) — Sale of counterfeit goods — Right to information in the context of proceedings for infringement of an intellectual property right — Legislation of a Member State which allows banking institutions to refuse a request for +19 more
17(3) 7 Case Law 5 Guidance .md
Case Law 7
CJEU - Case C 312/24 - Darashev Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 8 December 2022.#TU and RE v Google LLC.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive 95/46/EC – Article 12(b) – Point (a) of the first paragraph of Article 14 – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 17(3)(a) – Operator of an internet search engine – Research carried out on the basis of a person’s name – Displaying a l Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 9 July 2020.#European Commission v Ireland.#Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector — Directive 2009/18/EC — Article 8(1) — Parties whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted to the investigative body — Members of the investigative body simultaneously performing other functions — Failure to provide for an independent investigative body.#Case C-257/19 VG Stuttgart - 1 K 12737/25 GC - T-318/24 ¶4 Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 9 July 2020.#European Commission v Ireland.#Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector — Directive 2009/18/EC — Article 8(1) — Parties whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted to the investigative body — Members of the investigative body simultaneously performing other functions — Failure to provide for an independent investigative body.#Case C-257/19 ¶38 Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 8 December 2022.#TU and RE v Google LLC.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive 95/46/EC – Article 12(b) – Point (a) of the first paragraph of Article 14 – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 17(3)(a) – Operator of an internet search engine – Research carried out on the basis of a person’s name – Displaying a l
17(3)(a) 20 Case Law .md
Case Law 20
BGH refers to CJJH whether available interim injunction affects delisting balance under Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 8 December 2022.#TU and RE v Google LLC.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive 95/46/EC – Article 12(b) – Point (a) of the first paragraph of Article 14 – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 17(3)(a) – Operator of an internet search engine – Research carried out on the basis of a person’s name – Displaying a l LG Köln - 28 O 168/22 VwGH - Ro 2022/04/0026 CJEU - C-460/20 - TU, RE v Google ¶54 Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 8 December 2022.#TU and RE v Google LLC.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive 95/46/EC – Article 12(b) – Point (a) of the first paragraph of Article 14 – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 17(3)(a) – Operator of an internet search engine – Research carried out on the basis of a person’s name – Displaying a l ¶1 Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 8 December 2022.#TU and RE v Google LLC.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive 95/46/EC – Article 12(b) – Point (a) of the first paragraph of Article 14 – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 17(3)(a) – Operator of an internet search engine – Research carried out on the basis of a person’s name – Displaying a l ¶48 Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 8 December 2022.#TU and RE v Google LLC.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive 95/46/EC – Article 12(b) – Point (a) of the first paragraph of Article 14 – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 17(3)(a) – Operator of an internet search engine – Research carried out on the basis of a person’s name – Displaying a l +12 more
17(3)(b) 7 Case Law 3 Guidance .md
Case Law 7
Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 4 October 2024.#Agentsia po vpisvaniyata v OL.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Publication in the commercial register of a company’s constitutive instrument containing personal data – Directive (EU) 2017/1132 – Non-compulsory personal data – Lack of consent of the data subjec Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 11 January 2024.#État belge v Autorité de protection des données.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the cour d'appel de Bruxelles.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Approximation of laws – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Point 7 of Article 4 – Concept of ‘controller’ – Official journal of a Member State – Obl Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 4 May 2023.#UZ v Bundesrepublik Deutschland.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Wiesbaden.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 5 – Principles relating to processing – Controllership – Article 6 – Lawfulness of processing – Electronic file compiled by an administrative authority relating to an asylum application – Tra ¶35 Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 4 May 2023.#UZ v Bundesrepublik Deutschland.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Wiesbaden.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 5 – Principles relating to processing – Controllership – Article 6 – Lawfulness of processing – Electronic file compiled by an administrative authority relating to an asylum application – Tra ¶51 Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 11 January 2024.#État belge v Autorité de protection des données.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the cour d'appel de Bruxelles.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Approximation of laws – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Point 7 of Article 4 – Concept of ‘controller’ – Official journal of a Member State – Obl ¶92 Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 4 October 2024.#Agentsia po vpisvaniyata v OL.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Publication in the commercial register of a company’s constitutive instrument containing personal data – Directive (EU) 2017/1132 – Non-compulsory personal data – Lack of consent of the data subjec ¶124 Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 4 October 2024.#Agentsia po vpisvaniyata v OL.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Publication in the commercial register of a company’s constitutive instrument containing personal data – Directive (EU) 2017/1132 – Non-compulsory personal data – Lack of consent of the data subjec
17(3)(e) 2 Case Law 3 Guidance .md

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