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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?"

2 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. In Europe by MeltUp · · Score: 5, Informative

    Well, here in Belgium it's simple. There's a law that gives you the right to request all info they have on you, and allows you to order them to delete it. I'm not 100% sure, but I think at least a few other European counties have a law like that.

    --
    Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. -- Pablo Picasso
  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!!!