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The Right to Be Forgotten in Denmark

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The Right To Be Forgotten

Part of the book series: Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law ((GSCL,volume 40))

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Abstract

The General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter the GDPR) and the Danish Data Protection Act (hereinafter the DDPA) has been effective since 25 May 2018 (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regards to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), see: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679&from=ENG. The Danish Data Projection Act is available in English at https://www.datatilsynet.dk/media/6894/danish-data-protection-act.pdf.). However, the interpretation of the regulation still raises questions in Denmark. Thus, in this article, predictions of future case law are mainly based on the work of the Danish Ministry of Justice on adapting Danish law to the GDPR. This work resulted, among others, in a white paper encompassing more than 1000 pages, published on 24 May 2017 (White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, available at: http://justitsministeriet.dk/nyt-og-presse/pressemeddelelser/2017/nye-regler-styrker-beskyttelsen-af-persondata-i-europa.). In Denmark, case law traditionally stays close to the evaluations and considerations set forth in such white papers and other preparatory works. The predictions must therefore be considered to be founded on a realistic and sound basis.

It should be noted that, in accordance with the systematics of the GDPR, the right to be forgotten is in the following regarded as a right related to information which is correct, and otherwise handled legally. In connection to this distinction, reference is made to chapter II of the GDPR on the rights of the data subjects, section 3. This states that article 16 regulates the correction of inaccurate personal data, while article 17 establishes a right to erase correct personal data—and in the header’s brackets, reference is made to the “right to be forgotten”.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Hereinafter referred to as Google Spain.

  2. 2.

    Blume (2014), p. 74.

  3. 3.

    Act No. 429 of 31 May 2000 as amended by section 7 of Act No. 280 of 25 April 2001, section 6 of Act No. 552 of 24 June 2005, section 2 of Act No. 519 of 6 June 2007, section 1 of Act No. 188 of 18 March 2009, section 2 of Act No. 503 of 12 June 2009, section 2 of Act No. 422 of 10 May 2011, section 1 of Act No. 1245 of 18 December 2012 and section 1 of Act No. 639 of 12 June 2013.

  4. 4.

    Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regards to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31995L0046:EN:HTML.

  5. 5.

    Guide no. 126 of 10/07/2000 on data subjects’ rights under the rules in chapters 8-10 of the Act on processing of personal data, see: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=852.

  6. 6.

    The DPA file number 2006-321-0457, 2007-321-0039 and 2008-321-0134, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2006/okt/offentliggoerelse-af-oplysninger-om-modstandsfolk-paa-internettet-i/, https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2007/sep/offentliggoerelse-af-oplysninger-om-modstandsfolk-paa-internettet-ii/ and https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2009/apr/offentliggoerelse-af-oplysninger-om-modstandsfolk-paa-internettet-iii/.

  7. 7.

    DPA file number 2007-321-0039, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2007/sep/offentliggoerelse-af-oplysninger-om-modstandsfolk-paa-internettet-ii/.

  8. 8.

    DPA file number 2004-313-0247, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2005/jun/klage-over-offentliggoerelse-af-navn-og-adresse-paa-kommunes-hjemmeside/.

  9. 9.

    In other words, the processing was legal, in that it was necessary for the purpose of performing a task in the public interest, necessary for the purpose of the public authorities in connection with exercising authority and necessary for those who had access to data to pursue a legitimate interest, and the consideration of the data subject would not normally exceed that interest by such disclosure.

  10. 10.

    Waaben and Nielsen (2015), p. 538.

  11. 11.

    White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, p. 330 et seq.

  12. 12.

    White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, p. 958 et seq.

  13. 13.

    Waaben and Nielsen (2015), p. 121 et seq.

  14. 14.

    Jakobsen and Schaumburg-Müller (2016), p. 263 et seq.

  15. 15.

    Jakobsen and Schaumburg-Müller (2015), pp. 176–186.

  16. 16.

    Advisory Rules for Sound Press Ethics – on media ethics and how to file media complaints, available at: https://journalistforbundet.dk/sites/default/files/inline-files/Guide_Presseetiske-regler.pdf.

  17. 17.

    Jakobsen and Schaumburg-Müller (2015), pp. 176–186.

  18. 18.

    The same will apply to online books, including specialist books, cf. for the latter, the DPA file number 2002-082-0075, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2004/mar/spoergsmaal-om-persondatalovens-anvendelse-paa-faglitteratur/.

  19. 19.

    If the starting point is waived based on a concrete assessment, an assessment must be made in accordance with subsection 1 of section 3 of the PPD Act, cf. Jakobsen and Schaumburg-Müller (2016), p. 255.

  20. 20.

    Bill no. 147 of 31 May. 2000 (the Folketing Hansard 1999/00): the special notes to section 2.

  21. 21.

    In case of rejection, the DPA is not the competent authority, as the DPA supervises compliance with the PPD Act, but does not have the jurisdiction to decide on the Danish Penal Code’s rules on defamation etc.

  22. 22.

    DPA file number 2011-215-0874, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2012/jun/offentliggoerelse-af-personoplysninger-paa-hjemmeside-i/, and DPA file 2011-222-0094, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2012/jun/offentliggoerelse-af-personoplysninger-paa-hjemmeside-ii/.

  23. 23.

    White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, p. 948.

  24. 24.

    DPA file number 2007-229-0002, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/tilsyn-og-afgoerelser/historiske-afgoerelser/2008/okt/afgoerelse-i-klagesag-om-offentliggoerelse-paa-redox-hjemmeside/.

  25. 25.

    Redox describes themselves as a “left-wing, antifascist research group” that “digs deep into activities and structures of the extreme right-wing and then publish its findings”, see https://redox.dk/om.

  26. 26.

    Bill no. 147 of 31 May. 2000: the special notes to section 37.

  27. 27.

    Law no. 606 of 12/06/2013 – the Danish Publicity and Freedom of Information Act, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=152299 (section 15).

  28. 28.

    Executive Order no. 1201 of 28/09/2016 – Executive Order of the Danish Act on Public Records, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=183862.

  29. 29.

    White paper nr. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, pp. 329-330.

  30. 30.

    The Danish hospital services are mainly organised as public authorities, but a number of supplementary healthcare services are provided by private operators such as doctors, dentists and chiropractors. However, the vast majority of health services are tax-financed in Denmark, whether they are carried out by public authorities or private companies.

  31. 31.

    Executive Order no. 1356 of 23/10/2016 - Act on approval of health professionals and health professional activity, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=183809. Latest change was with order no. 990 of 18/08/2017, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=192522.

  32. 32.

    Executive Order no. 1090 of 28/07/2016 – Act on authorised health persons medical records (record keeping, storage, disclosure and transfer, etc.), available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=183578. Changed with order no. 530 of 24/05/2018, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=201378.

  33. 33.

    Hereinafter the PET Act.

  34. 34.

    Act no. 410 of 27/07/2017 – Act on processing of personal data by law enforcement authorities – entered into force on 1 May 2017, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=189891.

  35. 35.

    Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA, available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ENG/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016L0680&from=DA.

  36. 36.

    Provided processing is done in whole or in part by means of automatic data processing or information are or will be contained in a manual directory.

  37. 37.

    Act no. 410 of 27/04/2017 – Act on processing of personal data by law enforcement authorities, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=189891.

  38. 38.

    Executive Order no. 1079 of 20 September 2017 concerning the processing of personal data in the Danish Central Crime, available at: https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=192722.

  39. 39.

    White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, p. 330 et seq.

  40. 40.

    Charter of fundamental Rights of the European Union, article 8 (3): “Compliance with these rules shall be subject to control by an independent authority”. Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT&from=DA.

  41. 41.

    DPA, Annual Report 2016 p. 13, available at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/media/6515/datatilsynets_aarsberetning_2016_web.pdf.

  42. 42.

    The Danish Press Council, however, does not have the jurisdiction to order a media to erase or otherwise prevent the availability of the content in question.

  43. 43.

    Executive Order on the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=186190, Executive Order on PET’s processing of information on natural and legal persons etc, https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=164082, Executive Order on the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE), https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=176852 and the Act on Center for Cyber Security, https://www.retsinformation.dk/Forms/R0710.aspx?id=163853.

  44. 44.

    The supervisory authority may, however, issue statements to the intelligence services and the CFCS, in which the supervision expresses its opinion e.g. as to whether the intelligence services and the CFCS comply with the rules on data information. If an intelligence service or the CFCS, exceptionally decide not to follow a recommendation in a statement from the supervisory authority, the intelligence service or CFCS shall inform the supervisory authority thereof and forthwith submit the matter to the relevant minister for a decision.

  45. 45.

    Further information https://stps.dk/da/borgere/rapporter-en-utilsigtet-haendelse/.

  46. 46.

    The Danish Energy Agency’s website: http://www.ens.dk/.

  47. 47.

    Blume (2016), p. 169 et seq.

  48. 48.

    White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, p. 902.

  49. 49.

    Waaben and Nielsen (2015), p. 654 et seq.

  50. 50.

    U.2011.2343.H.

  51. 51.

    White paper no. 1565, GDPR – and the legal framework of Danish legislation, p. 917 et seq.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Hanne Marie Motzfeldt

  2. Department of Law, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Ayo Næsborg-Andersen

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  1. Hanne Marie Motzfeldt
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  2. Ayo Næsborg-Andersen
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Correspondence to Hanne Marie Motzfeldt .

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  1. Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Franz Werro

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Motzfeldt, H.M., Næsborg-Andersen, A. (2020). The Right to Be Forgotten in Denmark. In: Werro, F. (eds) The Right To Be Forgotten. Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law, vol 40. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33512-0_4

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