Can I ask a company to delete the data it holds about me?
I closed my account with an app months ago but still get emails from them. I want them to delete everything they have about me. Do I have a right to that?
1 lawyer answer
In many places, yes, though it depends on the law that applies. Under laws such as the GDPR in Europe and some US state privacy laws, individuals have rights to access their data and to request its deletion, subject to exceptions (for example, records a company must keep for legal or tax reasons).
Send a clear written request using the contact details in the company’s privacy policy, and keep a copy. Organisations usually have a fixed period to respond.
Separately, you can generally unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time. If you get no satisfactory response, you may be able to complain to the relevant data protection regulator.
This is general information, not legal advice — speak to a licensed lawyer about your situation.
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