TORONTO – A new poll commissioned by The Canadian Journalism Foundation finds the right to access news outweighs personal reputation considerations when it comes to online news stories.
The poll, conducted by Maru/Matchbox earlier this month among more than 1,500 people, found that 74% believe broadly that Canadians' right to access news overrides the right to remove accurate and lawful stories that have a negative impact on a person's reputation.
A more specific question involves removing a story if an individual is concerned about an accurate news story affecting his/her personal reputation. In that case, public opinion was more polarized: 58% believed a search engine should not be required to remove it, while 42% believed it should.
"As the Office of the Privacy Commissioner contemplates a 'right to be forgotten,' it will need to strike a balance between those rights protecting freedom of expression and the right to manage reputation online," said CJF executive director Natalie Turvey, in a statement. "These polling results suggest Canadians may prioritize their Charter rights and that we care deeply about our right to access news and information."
