So in their reply they basically give me the standard “delete your posts and comments manually, then delete your account through this form” spiel, to which I could technically reply that it is their responsibility to delete the data and not mine.

However, if possible I would like to keep my reddit account for a little longer so I can still see posts that are helpful, at least until the fediverse kicks off totally. I assume that under GDPR I cant specify which data I would like deleted and which kept, its either all or nothing, so I’ll avoid asking them to remove it all for the time being.

However from a GDPR standpoint, if I dont delete my account as well in additin to posts+comments and notice that 6 months down the line theyve brought back some of my content without my consent even after I delete it, could I take action against them?

How should I word my reply to them notifying them that even though it is their job I will be deleting my posts and comments but not the account, so that I am legally covered for the future?

Thanks in advance everyone!

  • I am not a lawyer. But, if you go down the route of following their instructions, I’d suggest you should follow their instructions completely, including deleting the account. Otherwise, they could claim further down the line that you failed to follow their instructions.

    Also, you should probably tell them you’ve done it, preferably with a screenshot and timestamp, just so they know you’re keeping records. ;)

  • I’m not a lawyer either, and my advice is admittedly biased, so take it with a grain of salt.

    I think that your best bet is to push it further, mentioning laws that apply to where you live. Make them do the hard work for you.

    We (people in general) can’t really expect the Fediverse to “kick off totally”. A community is only as good as its content; if everybody waits it, it won’t kick off. Depending on the nature of your content, it might be useful to dump the content in the Fediverse alternative of your choice, it’ll get a premium spotlight so it’s good for you, too.

    (I’m currently doing this, with my conlanging content. There’s a lot of trash, so I need to sort it out first.)

  • You could consider making a data request first and after they respond, make a deletion request when you’d like your account removed. And you are correct, it is their responsibility to delete your data.

    If they do not respond to either the data request or deletion request (or do not fulfil these requests fully), you can make a complaint with your local data protection office or the one Reddit is based in (maybe Ireland?), you do not need to sue. Make sure you invoke GDPR using the correct language for your request.

    Here’s a template letter of how to do so under GDPR. You must request your data or the deletion of you data using the correct legal framework (quoting the correct legislation) and these templates make this easy. Plus they cover more types of data than just your posts and comments.

    https://www.datarequests.org/sample-letters/

    Note: I am not a lawyer, but have worked in data protection within a government body in the EU.