Gender Transition: Is There a Right to Be Forgotten?

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Correia, M (Author) Other; Guilhermina Rego (Author) FMUP; Rui Nunes (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Health Care Analysis

ISSN: 1065-3058

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 6 Citations

Scopus - 5 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-XMJ

DOI: 10.1007/s10728-021-00433-1

Abstract (EN): The European Union (EU) faced high risks from personal data proliferation to individuals' privacy. Legislation has emerged that seeks to articulate all interests at stake, balancing the need for data flow from EU countries with protecting personal data: the General Data Protection Regulation. One of the mechanisms established by this new law to strengthen the individual's control over their data is the so-called "right to be forgotten", the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of records. In gender transition, this right represents a powerful form of control over personal data, especially health data that may reveal a gender with which they do not identify and reject. Therefore, it is pertinent to discern whether the right to have personal data deleted-in particular, health data-is ethically acceptable in gender transition. Towards addressing the ethical dimensions of the right to be forgotten in this case, this study presents relevant concepts, briefly outlines history, ethics and law of records considering the evolution from paper to electronic format, the main aspects of identity construction and gender identity, and explores the relationship between privacy, data protection/information control and identity projection. Also, it discusses in gender transition the relation between "the right to self-determination", "the right to delete", and "the right to identity and individuality". Conclusions on the ethical admissibility of the 'right to be forgotten' to control gender-affirming information are presented.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 18