Back to all blog posts

Do It Your Self Rights Requests

On our last webinar (as of this writing) I discussed how a company can handle data subject’s rights requests under GDPR. Many of these requests are going to require attention, such as those ‘right to be forgotten’ requests. Others may seem daunting but can be handled easily and may not require any direct participation from your end.

Auto-Magically

On this past webinar, I discuss how Facebook handles access requests. If you take the time to go through your account settings, you can find a link to download your data. This provides you a zip file with all of the information related to your account and its previous activity. Essentially, Facebook has automated access requests.

Taking this into account, how else can you automate requests? If your userbase all have accounts, they can rectify any information related to them by having them edit their own profiles. This provides users with a quick and reliable method to correct information or alter it as it changes. Access, rectification, objection, restriction, and even portability requests can be handled in this way. Technically any request can, but I would hesitate from allowing data subjects to delete information at will for erasure requests.

There is more here as well. Many requests include notifying controllers with whom you have shared the information with previously of the request or changes. You could potentially update these individuals as well of these changes. By automating these requests, you save time you would otherwise use handling them. You save money and opportunity costs because your employees can work on other activities. By automating requests when possible, both your customers and executives will be happy.