Can I ask a company to delete my personal data?
Answer
Yes, you can request the deletion of your personal data, e.g. B. when the data the company holds about you is no longer needed or your data has been used unlawfully. Right to be forgotten process Personal data that you provided as a child can be deleted at any time.
This right also applies online and is often referred to as the “ right to be forgotten ”. In certain circumstances, you can ask companies that have made your personal data available online to delete it. These companies are also obliged to take appropriate measures to inform other companies (controllers) that process this personal data that the data subject has requested the deletion of all links to this data or copies of this data.
It is important to remember that this right is not an absolute right. This means that other rights, such as freedom of expression and scientific research, are also protected.
Examples
Data are to be deleted
You have registered on a social network website. After a period of time, you decide to log off from the network again. You have the right to ask the company to erase your personal data.
Data cannot be deleted immediately
A new bank offers good conditions for real estate loans. You buy a new house and decide to switch to this new bank. You ask your “old” bank to close all accounts and delete all your personal information. However, the old bank is subject to a law that requires it to keep all customer data for ten years. The old bank cannot simply delete your personal information. In this case, however, you can request that the processing of your personal data be restricted. The bank may then only store your data in accordance with the legal time requirements and may not process them in any other way.
Data are to be deleted
When you search online for your first and last name, there is a link to a newspaper article among the results. The information in the newspaper is several years old and pertains to a matter – a real estate auction related to debt collection – that was settled long ago and is now obsolete. If you are not a public figure and your interest in having the article removed outweighs the general public interest in having access to this information, the search engine is obligated to exclude links to websites in which your first and last name appear from the results to remove Right to be Forgotten Meaning.
