Justice K.S.Puttaswamy(Retd) vs Union Of India on 26 September, 2018
Privacy of children will require special protection not just in the context of the virtual world, but also
the real world.
634. People change and an individual should be able to determine the path of his life and not be
stuck only on a path of which he/she treaded initially. An individual should have the capacity to
change his/her beliefs and evolve as a person. Individuals should not live in fear that the views they
expressed will forever be associated with them and thus refrain from expressing themselves.
635. Whereas this right to control dissemination of personal information in the physical and virtual
space should not amount to a right of total eraser of history, this right, as a part of the larger right to
privacy, has to be balanced against other fundamental rights like the freedom of expression, or
freedom of media, fundamental to a democratic society.
636. Thus, the European Union Regulation of 2016 [Regulation No. (EU) 2016/679 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 27-4-2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the
processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive No.
95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).] has recognised what has been termed as the right
to be forgotten. This does not mean that all aspects of earlier existence are to be obliterated, as some
may have a social ramification. If we were to recognise a similar right, it would only mean that an
individual who is no longer desirous of his personal data to be processed or stored, should be able to
remove it from the system where the personal data/information is no longer necessary, relevant, or
is incorrect and serves no legitimate interest. Such a right cannot be exercised where the
information/data is necessary, for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information, for
compliance with legal obligations, for the performance of a task carried out in public interest, on the
grounds of public interest in the area of public health, for archiving purposes in the public interest,
scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes, or for the establishment, exercise or
defence of legal claims. Such justifications would be valid in all cases of breach of privacy, including
breaches of data privacy.
(vi) Right to privacy cannot be impinged without a just, fair and reasonable law: It has to fulfill the
test of proportionality i.e. (i) existence of a law; (ii) must serve a legitimate State aim; and (iii)
proportionality.
Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud, J. :
310. While it intervenes to protect legitimate State interests, the State must nevertheless put into
place a robust regime that ensures the fulfilment of a threefold requirement. These three
requirements apply to all restraints on privacy (not just informational privacy). They emanate from
the procedural and content-based mandate of Article 21. The first requirement that there must be a
law in existence to justify an encroachment on privacy is an express requirement of Article 21. For,
no person can be deprived of his life or personal liberty except in accordance with the procedure
established by law. The existence of law is an essential requirement. Second, the requirement of a
need, in terms of a legitimate State aim, ensures that the nature and content of the law which
imposes the restriction falls within the zone of reasonableness mandated by Article 14, which is a
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