UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — What is the right to be forgotten?

Q1. In the Indian context, which one of the following is the primary remedy associated with the exercise of the right to be forgotten?

  • A. De-indexing of name-based search results linking an individual to settled matters
  • B. Physical destruction of the original court records held by the registry
  • C. Criminal prosecution of the search engine operator for defamation
  • D. Deletion of the underlying judgment from the court's case database

Q2. With reference to the distinction between 'de-indexing' and 'erasure' in the context of the right to be forgotten, consider the following statements: 1. De-indexing removes links to information from name-based search results while the underlying content may remain available online. 2. Erasure (the 'right to erasure') contemplates the complete deletion of the personal data itself. 3. A de-indexing direction in India requires the underlying judgment to be removed from the court's records. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. De-indexing removes links to information from name-based search results while the underlying content may remain available online.
  2. Erasure (the 'right to erasure') contemplates the complete deletion of the personal data itself.
  3. A de-indexing direction in India requires the underlying judgment to be removed from the court's records.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, enacted in the wake of the recognition of informational privacy in the Puttaswamy judgment, falls under the administrative charge of which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • B. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Q4. The verdict in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) declaring privacy a fundamental right was delivered by the largest constitutional bench convened for the question, comprising how many judges of the Supreme Court?

  • A. Nine judges
  • B. Seven judges
  • C. Five judges
  • D. Eleven judges

Q5. The foundational global ruling on the right to be forgotten in Google Spain v. AEPD & Mario Costeja González was delivered in which year and by which forum?

  • A. 2014, by the Court of Justice of the European Union
  • B. 2016, by the European Court of Human Rights
  • C. 2018, by the Court of Justice of the European Union
  • D. 2014, by the European Court of Human Rights

Q6. With reference to the Google Spain v. AEPD (Costeja) case of 2014, consider the following statements: 1. The dispute arose from newspaper notices concerning a property auction linked to social security debts. 2. The publication involved was the Spanish daily La Vanguardia. 3. The Court held that a search engine operator is a 'controller' responsible for processing personal data. 4. The Court ordered the newspaper to delete the original announcement from its archives. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The dispute arose from newspaper notices concerning a property auction linked to social security debts.
  2. The publication involved was the Spanish daily La Vanguardia.
  3. The Court held that a search engine operator is a 'controller' responsible for processing personal data.
  4. The Court ordered the newspaper to delete the original announcement from its archives.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q7. Comparing the EU and Indian approaches to the right to be forgotten, consider the following statements: 1. Article 17 of the GDPR confers an express statutory right to erasure on the data subject. 2. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee's formulation allowed data principals only to restrict or prevent continuing disclosure, not to demand complete erasure. 3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 explicitly grants an equivalent standalone right to be forgotten. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Article 17 of the GDPR confers an express statutory right to erasure on the data subject.
  2. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee's formulation allowed data principals only to restrict or prevent continuing disclosure, not to demand complete erasure.
  3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 explicitly grants an equivalent standalone right to be forgotten.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. Regarding the interplay of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 with the 2026 right-to-be-forgotten ruling, consider the following statements: 1. The DPDP Act, 2023 exempts personal data processed in the course of judicial proceedings from its protections. 2. The Delhi High Court's 2026 ruling nonetheless interpreted the DPDP Act while granting de-indexing relief. 3. The DPDP Act, 2023 expressly enumerates a 'right to be forgotten' among the rights of the data principal. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The DPDP Act, 2023 exempts personal data processed in the course of judicial proceedings from its protections.
  2. The Delhi High Court's 2026 ruling nonetheless interpreted the DPDP Act while granting de-indexing relief.
  3. The DPDP Act, 2023 expressly enumerates a 'right to be forgotten' among the rights of the data principal.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. With reference to the Delhi High Court's domain-privacy (WHOIS) order and the ensuing challenge, consider the following statements: 1. Registrars were directed to end privacy-by-default masking, making identity redaction a paid add-on rather than the default. 2. Registrars were directed to disclose registrant details within a fixed window upon request by a court, law-enforcement agency or rights holder. 3. GoDaddy accepted the order and withdrew from contesting it. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Registrars were directed to end privacy-by-default masking, making identity redaction a paid add-on rather than the default.
  2. Registrars were directed to disclose registrant details within a fixed window upon request by a court, law-enforcement agency or rights holder.
  3. GoDaddy accepted the order and withdrew from contesting it.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. In the context of Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the term 'safe harbour' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. Conditional legal immunity of an intermediary from liability for third-party content, subject to due diligence
  • B. A mandatory requirement to store all user data within Indian territory
  • C. A statutory fund to compensate victims of cyber-crime and data breaches
  • D. A provision vesting ownership of indexed content in search-engine operators