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Main Authors: Vilella, Salvatore, Ruffo, Giancarlo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03989
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author Vilella, Salvatore
Ruffo, Giancarlo
author_facet Vilella, Salvatore
Ruffo, Giancarlo
contents In the digital age, the challenge of forgetfulness has emerged as a significant concern, particularly regarding the management of personal data and its accessibility online. The right to be forgotten (RTBF) allows individuals to request the removal of outdated or harmful information from public access, yet implementing this right poses substantial technical difficulties for search engines. This paper aims to introduce non-experts to the foundational concepts of information retrieval (IR) and de-indexing, which are critical for understanding how search engines can effectively "forget" certain content. We will explore various IR models, including boolean, probabilistic, vector space, and embedding-based approaches, as well as the role of Large Language Models (LLMs) in enhancing data processing capabilities. By providing this overview, we seek to highlight the complexities involved in balancing individual privacy rights with the operational challenges faced by search engines in managing information visibility.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_03989
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle (De)-Indexing and the Right to be Forgotten
Vilella, Salvatore
Ruffo, Giancarlo
Computers and Society
Information Retrieval
K.4; H.3
In the digital age, the challenge of forgetfulness has emerged as a significant concern, particularly regarding the management of personal data and its accessibility online. The right to be forgotten (RTBF) allows individuals to request the removal of outdated or harmful information from public access, yet implementing this right poses substantial technical difficulties for search engines. This paper aims to introduce non-experts to the foundational concepts of information retrieval (IR) and de-indexing, which are critical for understanding how search engines can effectively "forget" certain content. We will explore various IR models, including boolean, probabilistic, vector space, and embedding-based approaches, as well as the role of Large Language Models (LLMs) in enhancing data processing capabilities. By providing this overview, we seek to highlight the complexities involved in balancing individual privacy rights with the operational challenges faced by search engines in managing information visibility.
title (De)-Indexing and the Right to be Forgotten
topic Computers and Society
Information Retrieval
K.4; H.3
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03989