I was watching a Joe Scott video about the Somerton Man, and at one point he mentions it’s believed he just wanted to be forgotten.
I’ve met a lot of people who are like this. They feel too dysphoric about their life and are eager to see the day when their families all pass away or have memory loss so that the worst parts of their life aren’t in other peoples’ heads anymore. It’s sad.
There are a lot of things we consider rights by default. There’s a right to a burial. There’s a right to a last meal. There’s a right to a will. Some of these have people who philosophize about them but most are taken for granted.
Do you think there’s a right to be forgotten? How much do you validate it? What’s your reasoning?
I think you summed up my thoughts on the matter much better than I could have. In particular, the “digital” / “corporate” right to be forgotten is distinct and much more specific in its scope than a broader right, and is a rather important consumer protection in my opinion.