A few days ago I sent a GDPR request to some company to delete my personal data. They said to install their app and send a ticket from the app. The email was sent from the email address to which the account is registered. Is this even legal?

  • _TheNardDog_@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    No, it’s not at all legal for the company to do this. Reply and remind them they have one calendar month to comply from the date of your original request, otherwise you will make a complaint to which ever information regulator is correct for the juridiction they’re operating in.

    I’m a lawyer specialising in Data Privacy, reply here if you need more help on this one.

    Also feel free to name the company.

    • My Password Is 1234@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      For now, I do not want to announce the name of this company publicly.

      If they don’t want to solve it amicably, then I will do so.

      • sanpo@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        They already said they don’t want to.

        They asked you to install the app on purpose, in hopes that you’ll decide it’s too much hassle and decide not to delete the account.

        • el_abuelo@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          How do you know this?

          My first thought was “they probably want to ensure they are who they say they are and so want an authenticated request” - while that’s against GDPR, not everyone is as educated as they should be, and not every mistake is a nefarious activity.

          • sanpo@sopuli.xyz
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            1 year ago

            There’s no reason an app should be more trustworthy than the email.
            It’s pretty standard for scummy companies to make the process as annoying as possible.

          • activ8r@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            The individual responding isn’t the issue. They haven’t made any decision to respond like this, they are following a script.

            The script is written by people who should know exactly what they are doing, so the result is either malice or negligence. Either way it’s unacceptable where the law is concerned.

      • fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com
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        1 year ago

        This is a bad decision, IMO. They may fix it for you, but then you’ve lost the opportunity to assist everyone who comes after you.

        You posted asking the public for help. Please return the favor and report them, as you are legally supposed to do.

        • Scubus@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Think of the poor corporation! If they get punished for their illegal buisness practices, it’ll hurt the economy and people will be less inclined to start a small buisness. Didn’t you study piss down economics?

      • Rodeo@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Must be something that makes you look bad lol

        Otherwise you’d just say it. You owe them nothing and they’ve broken the fuckin law and you’re protecting them? What do they have on you?

        • lastweakness@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Or maybe they just want to disclose as little of their personal information, including services relied on, on an open platform like this. Idk if that’s the case, but playing devil’s advocate here

          • Rodeo@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            Personal information like the name of a company they bought something from?

            Please

            • Roboticide@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Why should they not? They posted an inquiry, looking for advice. That is their reason for posting.

              They do not owe personal information beyond what is required to answer the question. And typically, with regards to anything resembling a legal matter, the less information posted publicly, the better.

      • rishado@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I will never understand why people complain online then do this. Why are you being such a pushover. What does amicably even mean to you?

    • miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      That reminds me, I might have to put in a formal complaint for a somewhat similar matter.

      Bought concert cards years ago, and was never able to unsubsribe from the newsletter. I sent requests to every mail address I could find, and never even got a response. Still got newsletters every now and then though.

      They also just make it unnecessarily hard to contact them, so at this point I’m not sure my messages even reached them, which hopefully is what explains their failure to comply.

      • Natanael@slrpnk.net
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        1 year ago

        Depending on country there’s probably some regulator office which you can send a complaint to

        • miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          France in that case, so that would go to the CNIL. Though they want people to make an account to put in complaints online.

    • ram@bookwormstory.social
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      1 year ago

      Genuine question: Aren’t you supposed to say “this is not legal advice?” if you identify yourself as a lawyer but you’re not their legal council? Or am I mistaken?