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Reddit makes it impossible to delete PII, refuses to do it itself violating GDPR (youtu.be)

submitted 1 year ago by ruffsl to c/[email protected]

46 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/251752

It is important to note that although this may be a result of Reddit's UI not displaying the content users posted to now-private subreddits, it remains a problem. Additionally, I agree with the author's comments in the video description, as it appears strategically unrealistic for Reddit to ask that users manually delete the content themselves.

This is particularly true when considering that many automated methods to accomplish this task will be hindered by Reddit's upcoming API pricing changes. Furthermore, Reddit has demonstrated a recurring pattern of rolling back databases using historical backups, thereby disregarding user deletion requests that were submitted prior to the database rollback.

See similar discussion of this video on Hacker News:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36482168

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thank you for the more thorough explanation, I'm from the US and not used to these kind of sweeping consumer protection laws lol. Does that mean Lemmy is also in violation? Does deleting a post on my home instance notify federated instances to delete it as well?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It could affect lemmy administrators. As I understand lemmy federation does include federated removal propagation. Atleast the original instance can send federated notification to delete post or comment. Whether other instances comply is different matter. Since there is no central authority, it would be instance administrator per instance administrator obligation. Thought GDPR does propagate with data transfers. So theoretically for example EU instances might have to limit themselves to federation with instances committing to honoring GDPR notices. At which point "delete this" is not mere protocol requests, it is legal demand. Instance administrator might be held responsible for federation with GDPR non-complying instance.

Just being nice, free and open source doesn't free us from legal obligations. However someone would probably have to actively bring GDPR complain for anything to start happen. Free open source project is low on enforcement pole compared to big Internet businesses.

However some GDPR compliance things might have to be implemented. For example formal declarations of adherence to GDPR, messaging of "this deletion notice comes as result of GDPR request, delete or be in violation".

However I would also note the PII protections are not unlimited. It does have exceptions for legal obligations, legitimate business obligations (you can't demand business deletes all of their information, if they say need your contact information for still pending billing and so on). There is also public interests exception, aka person can't gag order just based on "I don't like this" should it be matter of journalistic/public interest matter. Some others exceptions also, that I don't remember right now.