Italy Proposes 'Right to Be Forgotten' Bill for Cancer Survivors
Ensuring No Discrimination 5-10 Years After Complete Recovery
EU Urges Implementation by 2025... Adopted by 6 Countries
The 'right to be forgotten' for cancer survivors is becoming a topic of public discussion in Europe. The aim is to prevent discrimination in bank loans or insurance subscriptions even if there is a past history of cancer after complete recovery.
According to major foreign media on the 13th (local time), Italy is actively promoting a 'right to be forgotten' bill for cancer survivors. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated in a press release that day, "We are carefully reviewing the bill," and added, "The goal is to pass a law soon that answers an issue affecting the lives of many Italians."
Italy's 'right to be forgotten' bill is currently under discussion in the House Health Committee. The local media outlet Il Sole 24 Ore reported that "there is bipartisan agreement on the bill, and the government also supports passing it quickly."
The core of this bill is to allow individuals who have fully recovered from cancer not to disclose their cancer history to financial institutions, adoption agencies, and others. Those who had cancer before the age of 21 as minors are eligible if there is no recurrence within 5 years after the last treatment, and adults in other cases are eligible if there is no recurrence within 10 years.
It is known that more than 900,000 people in Italy face difficulties in contracts such as insurance, loans, or adoption applications due to a history of cancer.
According to Euronews, a citizen diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 18 received treatment for 26 months and was declared cured, but in their 30s, they were unable to adopt a child. Another citizen with a history of breast cancer was denied a long-term housing loan by a bank.
In response to Prime Minister Meloni's statement that day, the Italian Oncology Association welcomed it, saying, "We recently launched a campaign to raise awareness about the 'right to be forgotten' for cancer and more than 106,000 people signed an online petition."
Already Introduced in Six Countries Including France... Frequent Judgments of Chronic Patients in Korea
The European Union (EU) urged all member states last February to introduce the 'right to be forgotten' for cancer survivors by 2025. It is reported that six countries, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania, are currently implementing such laws.
In particular, France recently revised the application criteria for the 'right to be forgotten' law from 10 years after treatment to 5 years. Additionally, for homes valued under 200,000 euros (approximately 276.05 million KRW), banks are required to abolish the medical information confirmation form during loan applications. France is also reportedly considering applying the 'right to be forgotten' not only to cancer but also to other diseases.
However, in Korea, the 'right to be forgotten' for cancer survivors is not explicitly guaranteed yet. Usually, a person is considered cured and eligible for insurance if they survive more than 5 years without recurrence or metastasis after cancer treatment, but many insurance companies practically regard them as chronic patients.
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