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I’m one of the founders of this service. We created Your Digital Rights because we believe that privacy matters, and that exercising your right to privacy shoul

I’m one of the founders of this service. We created Your Digital Rights because we believe that privacy matters, and that exercising your right to privacy should be easy. Over the past year thousands of people have used the service to send GDPR erasure requests. We’ve just launched support for the CCPA. I’d love to get your feedback and am happy to answer any questions.

maikhoepfel 7y ago
The service looks excellent, but the lack of any privacy notice and details about who you are made me close the tab again. Why the secrecy?
- wjnc 7y ago
  I see an About and a Privacy policy. Where do you think those are lacking or could be better?
hnhg 7y ago
What about 'startup/tech' companies like Telegram? I can't bulk delete data in group chats, which to me seems in violation of my GDPR rights. I also have no idea where they are permanently based or how to properly contact them? They are an immensely shady outfit... Can you help with this case or am I and others just stuck with the mistake of using them?
- Tenoke 7y ago
  Does telegram even store any accessible data on their servers? As far as I can tell, their use case, in general, isn't covered by the rights to erasure[1] 1. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/right-to-erasure/ https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protectio...
  - hnhg 7y ago
    I believe they do store data on their servers. Their desktop app doesn't require syncing to your phone. Can you explain your thinking about why you believe that? I would have interpreted the guidelines in the opposite way. Telegram does permit individual manual deletion of group conversation messages for all parties, and bulk deletion of 1-1 conversation messages for everyone, just not the group chats. It's incredibly inconsistent even by their own standards.
    - Tenoke 7y ago
      >Can you explain your thinking about why you believe that? Reading through the reasons in the "When does the right to erasure apply?" on the link I posted it is not obvious if any of the listed ones apply. As for the syncing - if they are fully encrypting everything but you have the keys on those devices and they dont have them, what they have is not considered usable by them data. I am not entirely sure how Telegram operate anymore though - if there is no syncing at all, then yes they likely store it in an accessible by them way.
      - hnhg 7y ago
        Ah, ok, I think my right lies somewhere in me withdrawing consent and my belief that they lack a 'legitimate interest' (which is somewhat well defined under GDPR) for retaining it. I might contact the ICO and Telegram and see what they say - might be fun :)
- yoaviram 7y ago
  Here is their privacy policy https://telegram.org/privacy https://telegram.org/privacy, not sure if that helps but it designates a subsidiary company to deal with GDPR requests. The details of that company are: Telegram UK Holdings Ltd (71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ.
  - hnhg 7y ago
    Thanks. I might try that. All reports seem to say they are actually based out of Dubai (previously Berlin?). It's all very murky. I'll see if they respond.
- beckingz 7y ago
  If you delete your telegram account, your messages in group chats will be attributed to a deleted user.
  - hnhg 7y ago
    Thanks. That's unsatisfactory to me, alas.
  - mehrdadn 7y ago
    I imagine the content itself is important here, not merely the name associated with it.
blackearl 7y ago
I see a few notable companies, and then the option to search. Can you include a full list of Data Brokers available to be easier to browse?
- yoaviram 7y ago
  Did you see this https://yourdigitalrights.org/data-brokers https://yourdigitalrights.org/data-brokers ?
  - blackearl 7y ago
    That shows 8 big ones, and you can search through, but there isn't just a plain list of every broker.
    - yoaviram 7y ago
      I have a list with about 150 data brokers, I'm wondering what would be the best UI to help people interact with the list. Is bulk sending deletion requests to the whole list viable? Is it multiple selection?
iandanforth 7y ago
Mailto: Links don't work for me. They just pop open the OSX mail app which I immediately close.
- yoaviram 7y ago
  You can configure a different default email client. Here are instructions for OSX: http://osxdaily.com/2014/05/06/change-default-mail-app-mac/ http://osxdaily.com/2014/05/06/change-default-mail-app-mac/
  - iandanforth 7y ago
    I think you missed my point. Don't base your UI around mailto: links. They are fragile and undesirable.
rapnie 7y ago
Are the service and browser extensions open source?
- yoaviram 7y ago
  Yes, there's a link to the repo in the about us page.

maikhoepfel 7y ago

The service looks excellent, but the lack of any privacy notice and details about who you are made me close the tab again. Why the secrecy?

wjnc 7y ago
I see an About and a Privacy policy. Where do you think those are lacking or could be better?

hnhg 7y ago

What about 'startup/tech' companies like Telegram? I can't bulk delete data in group chats, which to me seems in violation of my GDPR rights. I also have no idea where they are permanently based or how to properly contact them? They are an immensely shady outfit... Can you help with this case or am I and others just stuck with the mistake of using them?

Tenoke 7y ago
Does telegram even store any accessible data on their servers? As far as I can tell, their use case, in general, isn't covered by the rights to erasure[1] 1. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/right-to-erasure/ https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protectio...
- hnhg 7y ago
  I believe they do store data on their servers. Their desktop app doesn't require syncing to your phone. Can you explain your thinking about why you believe that? I would have interpreted the guidelines in the opposite way. Telegram does permit individual manual deletion of group conversation messages for all parties, and bulk deletion of 1-1 conversation messages for everyone, just not the group chats. It's incredibly inconsistent even by their own standards.
  - Tenoke 7y ago
    >Can you explain your thinking about why you believe that? Reading through the reasons in the "When does the right to erasure apply?" on the link I posted it is not obvious if any of the listed ones apply. As for the syncing - if they are fully encrypting everything but you have the keys on those devices and they dont have them, what they have is not considered usable by them data. I am not entirely sure how Telegram operate anymore though - if there is no syncing at all, then yes they likely store it in an accessible by them way.
    - hnhg 7y ago
      Ah, ok, I think my right lies somewhere in me withdrawing consent and my belief that they lack a 'legitimate interest' (which is somewhat well defined under GDPR) for retaining it. I might contact the ICO and Telegram and see what they say - might be fun :)
yoaviram 7y ago
Here is their privacy policy https://telegram.org/privacy https://telegram.org/privacy, not sure if that helps but it designates a subsidiary company to deal with GDPR requests. The details of that company are: Telegram UK Holdings Ltd (71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, England, WC2H 9JQ.
- hnhg 7y ago
  Thanks. I might try that. All reports seem to say they are actually based out of Dubai (previously Berlin?). It's all very murky. I'll see if they respond.
beckingz 7y ago
If you delete your telegram account, your messages in group chats will be attributed to a deleted user.
- hnhg 7y ago
  Thanks. That's unsatisfactory to me, alas.
- mehrdadn 7y ago
  I imagine the content itself is important here, not merely the name associated with it.

blackearl 7y ago

I see a few notable companies, and then the option to search. Can you include a full list of Data Brokers available to be easier to browse?

yoaviram 7y ago
Did you see this https://yourdigitalrights.org/data-brokers https://yourdigitalrights.org/data-brokers ?
- blackearl 7y ago
  That shows 8 big ones, and you can search through, but there isn't just a plain list of every broker.
  - yoaviram 7y ago
    I have a list with about 150 data brokers, I'm wondering what would be the best UI to help people interact with the list. Is bulk sending deletion requests to the whole list viable? Is it multiple selection?

iandanforth 7y ago

Mailto: Links don't work for me. They just pop open the OSX mail app which I immediately close.

yoaviram 7y ago
You can configure a different default email client. Here are instructions for OSX: http://osxdaily.com/2014/05/06/change-default-mail-app-mac/ http://osxdaily.com/2014/05/06/change-default-mail-app-mac/
- iandanforth 7y ago
  I think you missed my point. Don't base your UI around mailto: links. They are fragile and undesirable.

rapnie 7y ago

Are the service and browser extensions open source?

yoaviram 7y ago
Yes, there's a link to the repo in the about us page.