GDPR and Boards.ie post removal policy **update linked in OP 24/5/18**

Bob24

seamus wrote: »

My understanding is that most of this has pretty much been possible previously anyway. The only major change is the registered users' right to demand post deletions.

Also one thing which should change but is not said explicitly in the new policy, is that when you make a deletion request in this way the post should be completely and permanently deleted from all of boards’ system, as opposed to simply being hidden from the website for regular users previously.

seamus

Bob24 wrote: »

Also one thing which should change but in not say explicitly in the new policy, is that when you make a deletion request in this way the post should be completely and permanently deleted from all of boards’ system, as opposed to simply being hidden from the website for regular users previously.

I think that's generally been the case if you went through official channels.

However the last time I was a mod, mods couldn't do this so if you asked a mod to delete it rather than an admin, it was only be soft deleted.

Sleeper12

Bob24 wrote:

Also one thing which should change but in not say explicitly in the new policy, is that when you make a deletion request in this way the post should be completely and permanently deleted from all of boards’ system, as opposed to simply being hidden from the website for regular users previously.

If it's deleted under GDPR then it is a permanent deletion from their system, hard drive, cloud etc.

Bob24

seamus wrote: »

I think that's generally been the case if you went through official channels.

However the last time I was a mod, mods couldn't do this so if you asked a mod to delete it rather than an admin, it was only be soft deleted.

Actually this relates to another question I would have about data access requests. It is not said explicitly in the policy but I assume any post made by a registered user which was soft deleted by a mod (and is thus still present on boards servers but not visible to the user) will be included in these requests, so that users are given the opportunity to review those posts and request full deletion if the wish to do so.

Can someone from boards confirm this is correct?

Permabear

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Lorelli!

Putinbot wrote: »

I'm reading it as only stuff that identifies me so for example this post in no way identifies me so I can't ask for it to be deleted. I honestly don't know.

I'm not sure but the way I'm reading it is that every post you make while still active is connected to your email even if whats written in the post itself doesn't give away any identifiable information.

For closed accounts, the data has been deleted so the posts are no longer connected to an email and therefore do not have to be deleted but will be considered in certain cases.

Ken.

This to me is an example of a data processor doing it right.

J.pilkington

My knowledge of gdpr isn’t as in dept as some of the posters here, but is an obvious efficient option for boards and users simply for boards to re-enable the delete and edit option for posters and this will save everyone a lot of time by having users do their own clean up.

Appreciate the argument that this can disrupt threads but in reality so will the boards team having to do this themselves, most other discussion forums (including the newer generation such as redit / Facebook and Twitter) already have this option and it works very well.

To me it seems like boards are making the process for the user really awkward by having it so manual and thus hoping that users simply won’t bother.

I know if I wanted to delete certain content from boards my preference would be to firstly delete the content I want to remove myself and then close my account. All this interaction and emails and having to send evidence is a pain in the a55 for everyone.

I suppose if it’s unpaid volunteers doing the work on behalf of the commercial profit making company maybe boards don’t care as it’s no skin if their back?

Fred Swanson

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OldMrBrennan83

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Fred Swanson

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Bob24

Fred Swanson wrote: »

Re-enabling the delete option for users would be the best option. No en-masse deletion but on a post by post basis.

Sorry if i sound like a broken record and I know you are aware of this, but I think it is important to add that it would only work if the delete option when used by a registered user permanently deletes that post across all boards systems. I am really not sure this is how it has been implemented to date, so just re-enabling it might not be sufficient.

Bob24

Putinbot wrote: »

This to me is an example of a data processor doing it right.

Depending on what the terms of servicr include :-)

But yeas agreed this is the right way to present a choice.

Fred Swanson

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Boards.ie: Niamh

Patww79 wrote: »

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Sean has already addressed the deletion of posts in his post here yesterday but I'll point out the relevant part in case it got lost with all of the other info:

Boards.ie: Sean wrote:

User Posts

For users with an active Boards account, posts made by a user can be associated with other information held by Boards that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person (for example a post can be associated with a user’s email address and/or real name).

Therefore, posts made by a user with an active Boards account are considered personal data and GDPR regulations apply to these posts, including the right of erasure.

As such, from 25 May we will begin to process requests for erasure of posts from users with an active Boards account.

These requests must be sent via a Private Message (PM) to the following recipient Boards.ie: GDPR (if for any reason you are unable to access or send a PM please email datarequests@boards.ie and we will get back to you with further instructions).

If you have an active account, i.e. have not closed your account, you can request deletion of your posts on foot of GDPR by PMing the account Boards.ie: GDPR.

There are a number of questions asked here that we want to get back to you on but we will clarify these for you later today hopefully.

Ken.

Bob24 wrote: »

Depending on what the terms of servicr include :-)

But yeas agreed this is the right way to present a choice.

I of course read them ans understood them before ticking the box.

I'm surprised everyone is so precious about old threads and how they read. There aren't many that people would set out to search for, maybe some momentous ones like 9/11, and they wouldn't suffer much from the odd deleted post.

When people are researching a topic they may come across some interesting threads in specialized fora, but again they wouldn't suffer too much from an occasional removed post and are probably less likely to have users request deletions.

And it's not like old threads can be reused, boards mods love to shut down old threads as soon as they are resurrected.

I get that the admin involved with processing deletion requests would be onerous and that is a separate argument, but it's not gold we're sitting on.

Sleeper12

Patww79 wrote:

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They have made it clear. The answer is yes you can request to have your posts deleted.

Just to be clear the legislation states that you can request to have your data (posts) deleted. The legislation doesn't give anyone the right to delete their own posts. The legislation says that you have the right to REQUEST not delete yourself

Franz Von Peppercorn

Sleeper12 wrote: »

They have made it clear. The answer is yes you can request to have your posts deleted.

Just to be clear the legislation states that you can request to have your data (posts) deleted. The legislation doesn't give anyone the right to delete their own posts. The legislation says that you have the right to REQUEST not delete yourself

I tend to agree but that that procedure is a bit onerous. I don’t know - it’s not clear - whether there would be a right to a blanket deletion prior to closing or do people have to enumerate the posts they want deleted.

Allowing a delete button at all times might work better for admin. I don’t think boards even has to permanently delete immediately. For business reasons or legal reasons they may want to keep some deleted posts around for a while (ie a troll keeps insulting or defaming people and deleting posts).

Beasty

Deleted User wrote: »

IThere aren't many that people would set out to search for, maybe some momentous ones like 9/11, and they wouldn't suffer much from the odd deleted post.

What if the OP of that thread decided to request deletion?

Currently the whole thread is deleted when an OP is deleted. However that's a soft delete, and maybe we can then retain the original discussion by re-instating post #2 on

Nody

Actually got another one to throw in to the mix; what about the forums that allow anonymous posting? There is obviously no e-mail address registered (though a user has been known to add one anyway by mistake) so how would those be handled for identification?

Sleeper12

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote:

I tend to agree but that that procedure is a bit onerous. I don’t know - it’s not clear - whether there would be a right to a blanket deletion prior to closing or do people have to enumerate the posts they want deleted.

You are entitled to delete everything before you close your account as its your data. Blanket delete or single it's up to you. This is enshrined in the legislation.

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote:

Allowing a delete button at all times might work better for admin. I don’t think boards even has to permanently delete immediately. For business reasons or legal reasons they may want to keep some deleted posts around for a while (ie a troll keeps insulting or defaming people and deleting posts).

A delete button won't permanently delete data. You have to request that.

If we've had a delete button I could call you all sorts of things and delete it before a mod saw it. It would be unworkable imo.

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

Nody wrote: »

Actually got another one to throw in to the mix; what about the forums that allow anonymous posting? There is obviously no e-mail address registered (though a user has been known to add one anyway by mistake) so how would those be handled for identification?

Lylah Uneven Chemist wrote: »

Are IP addresses not retained for posts by anonymous posters in the likes of PI then? They'd be non-registered users.

ho hum...

OldMrBrennan83

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Sleeper12

Patww79 wrote:

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Posters have a habit of doing that

Boards.ie: Niamh

To clarify a few questions asked since Sean's announcement yesterday:

Soft-deleted posts
Yes deleted posts will be included in the files a user receives on foot of a GDPR data access request

IPs on anonymous posts
There is an IP address associated with anon posts as with any other post on the site, this will not change. We don't hold/collect/ask for any other information on anonymous posters.

Quoted posts
We're still finalising what legally needs to be done with these and how we will accomplish it, so please bear with us on that particular question.

To clear this up, only Boards staff will process an official data request. If you ask a mod to delete a post it will be soft-deleted in the same way as before.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Sleeper12 wrote: »

You are entitled to delete everything before you close your account as its your data. Blanket delete or single it's up to you. This is enshrined in the legislation.

No disputing that. Merely wondering whether a permanent delete button would be alllowable in lieu of a blanket request to delete posts.

A delete button won't permanently delete data. You have to request that.

If we've had a delete button I could call you all sorts of things and delete it before a mod saw it. It would be unworkable imo.

Yeh I did actually deal with that point in my post.

OldMrBrennan83

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Sleeper12

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote:

Quoted posts We're still finalising what legally needs to be done with these and how we will accomplish it, so please bear with us on that particular question.

This is the big question for me.
I personally believe that if I quote a poster that it is now my data & not theirs. Obviously I don't know this as a fact but it seems logical to me.

On a separate note I do believe that boards.ie should acknowledge the original post in this forum & thank them. Acknowledge that they're questions possibly saved boards.ie embarrassment at a later stage. Whilst I don't agree with ops stance for the most part they do deserve some recognition for asking questions that got us all thinking & talking about this. I do believe that boards.ie might have changed direction because of this thread.