Abstract: In 2016, IFLA’s Governing Board approved a statement on the “right to be forgotten” that aims at privacy protection in the Internet era, taking into account of global application of the right to be forgotten by various nations. IFLA urges library professionals to participate in policy discussions about the right to be forgotten. This paper expounds the IFLA’s position on this statement: the IFLA advocates the “right to be forgotten” and regards it as not conflicting with the freedom of access to information or the freedom of speech. The paper also explains, in view of the existing legislations and practices in countries and regions, the historical development of such position. It introduces the IFLA’s proposals of application and discusses how the right to be forgotten should be implemented at home.

Key words: Privacy protection, IFLA, Right to be forgotten