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Deleting Personal Data from Private Institutions?

Posted by Cliff on from the static-on-your-digital-paper-trail dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "This site has many readers who are familiar with the liabilities of personal data being stored on servers owned by private institutions. Bank records, phone records, credit records, flight records, basically any type of digital transaction can be (and likely are) stored indefinitely for whatever reason. Are there processes by which one can request a removal of personal data, or by signing contracts with these companies, do they own the rights to the information? If you have attempted such an erasure, have you encountered resistance?"

3 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. just a hunch by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd guess that even if you did get someone at a company to state that your personal information had been expunged, there's a very high probability that nothing was actually done and that all of your information was still there. This is purely based on my experience with various levels of customer service and managers--they'll tell you what you want to hear just to make you go away.

    --
    This guy's the limit!
    1. Re:just a hunch by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Insightful
      they'll tell you what you want to hear just to make you go away.
      Which is why you _always_ insist on written confirmation.

      Never take their word for it.
      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  2. A Guy sued over being on a mailing list... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    a few years ago. He was tired of getting all of that junk mail ("Direct Marketing" according to Advo) and started suing those junk mail companies. He lost on every appeal. They won every time!

    I know, this is worse with all of the personal data that firms have, and many times, they were collected some other way other than the customer giving it to them.

    For example, I once switched over to Sprint telephone service. When I canceled, they wanted my SSN. I said, "That's funny, I never gave it to you." Long story short, they had it allright! They "needed" it so that they could cancel my service.

    My only guess is that the credit bureaus are pimping our data - ALL of our data! don't get me started on ChoicePoint!!!