Is there any way to un-register?

JHMEG

Thanks.

Gordon

The best way to do this is to change your email address to something random- bkjwewbe444.cbcj88@hotmail.com and scramble your password so that you don't remember it.

Why do you wish to unregister?

JHMEG

I would have thought that due to data protection that the ability to un-register would be a requirement, as otherwise boards is holding information when an individual requests it to be removed? Just a thought.

seamus

What kind of information do you think unregistering would remove?

As publisher, you have given boards the right to publish your posts for all time.

Also the data protection act only requires a data controller to remove information where it's incorrect or where it is no longer required for the purpose which it was collected for. As far as I can see.

JHMEG

I would have thought an information in a person's profile could be eligible for removal: username, location, password etc. Basically anything that they could have specified when registering.

Arguably if a person is unregistering then there is no need for the information to be kept.

seamus

Well, boards.ie still needs to retain a username to link an author to his posts.

You are free to remove all other information such as location, date of birth, signature, etc. A password is required to control access to the account, but you can scramble that.

I guess it would be up to the admins to consult and come with a formal statement on this and alternative arrangements if necessary.

I can't see any requirement from a DPA point of view though that needs to allow people to "unregister", but IANAL. Changing the email address and password is disassociating yourself from the account.

JHMEG

seamus wrote: »

Well, boards.ie still needs to retain a username to link an author to his posts.

The username was supplied by the user, and links information on the site to a person. Does this not make a username personal information?

On other forums you will see a blank and "No longer registered" or similar where a username used to be. So a username isn't needed to keep the site in order.

seamus

Well, if you look at it in terms of a newpaper printing someone's letter to the editor. If the author doesn't specify that they'd like to remain anonymous, the newspaper will print it. At that point the author can no longer request that they be disassociated with their work - they have provided permission to publish their name as part of their letter.

A username could be viewed much like a pseudonym, which you have given boards.ie permission to publish as part of the post.

I'm pretty sure that if you spoke to the Data Protection dudes, you'd get the answer that this is a "grey area", which is the problem. The above is how I perceive it, but as I say it may be worth an admin providing an official line on it.

JHMEG

seamus wrote: »

Well, if you look at it in terms of a newpaper printing someone's letter to the editor.

But printing and storing are not the same thing. Boards stores information that people have given.

seamus

So do newspapers

Check out the archives on independent.ie. They have letters to the editor going back years.

JHMEG

They have a Data protection and privacy statement tho.

seamus

Indeed they do. This was something that was mentioned a while back on feedback. I think someone had pottered off to look into it.