German SPD pushes for 'right to be forgotten' for cancer survivors

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is calling for a new five‑year rule that would prevent banks, insurers and other institutions from asking about a cancer diagnosis that occurred more than five years ago. The party estimates that around 5.5 million people in Germany are cancer survivors, many of whom report discrimination when applying for private health, life, disability insurance, credit contracts, mortgages or public‑sector jobs. A survey cited by the SPD found that 40 % of respondents experienced adverse treatment, and the party claims up to 77 % face discrimination in credit and insurance matters. The proposed “right to be forgotten” would aim to remove outdated medical information from risk assessments, reducing premium surcharges, exclusions or outright refusals. The SPD argues the measure would align legal practice with medical assessments that consider survivors cured after a certain period.