"(53) Any person should have the right to have personal data concerning them rectified and a 'right to be forgotten ' where the retention of such data is not in compliance with this Regulation. In particular, data subjects should have the right that their personal data are erased and no longer processed, where the data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which the data are collected or otherwise processed, where data subjects have withdrawn their consent for processing or where they object to the processing of personal data concerning them or where the processing of their personal data otherwise does not comply with this Regulation. This right is particularly relevant, when the data subject has given their consent as a child, when not being fully aware of the risks involved by the processing, and later wants to remove such personal data especially on the Internet. However, the further retention of the data should be allowed where it is necessary for historical, statistical and scientific research purposes, for reasons of public interest in the area of public health, for exercising the right of freedom of expression, when required by law or where there is a reason to restrict the processing of the data instead of erasing them."

The new directive updates the previous 1995 directive that states the same right in relation to traditional media: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/information_society/d...

It's really nothing more than an update of a directive that has been in effect for almost 20 years, it's just that media like to spin every news to find something to talk about.