Everybody has the right to be forgotten digitally, says Pavan Duggal

In a conversation with journalists at the Zee Media group, Dr Pavan Duggal, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, and a pioneer name in country’s cyber security law campaigns, said that everybody has the right to get unauthorised access to their data removed from the digital space. He was speaking in the context of old videos and photos surfacing on the internet after years in a targetted bid to tarnish image.

He spoke at length about the cyber frauds, misuse of data and what could be the immediate remedies. He cited the example of a couple capturing their private moments during honeymoon and later fighting over the alleged misuse of the footage. He said that one could be awarded a sentence of three years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh in such incidents, and this nature of crime can be reported in a seven-year window too.

Duggal said that one shouldn’t keep quiet if they’re a victim of online harassment and fraud as speaking up can be beneficial in the long run. One could get 90% of the money lost in cyber fraud if the complaint is filed within 10 days instead of the first 72 hours. A lot of digital crimes have been reported in the rural areas where vulnerable elderly and digitally illiterate population fell victim and lost their hard-earned money.

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In his closing remarks, he said that the journalists need to be more vigilant towards unverified news and forged data manipulation.