-Incogni takes legal action against GfK Group for ignoring customers’ right to be forgotten under the GDPR
VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Incogni, a privacy protection company, has filed a complaint and enforcement request with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) against GfK Group, the largest German market research company. The complaint alleges that GfK has systematically ignored requests to delete data from Incogni’s customers, including almost 500 requests from Dutch customers who were exercising their right to deletion under Article 17 of the GDPR. Incogni’s complaint also includes an enforcement request, which seeks a formal appeal to the DPDA to take the necessary steps to ensure GfK’s compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
“Companies that put obstacles in the way of consumers exercising their data protection rights are a pervasive problem. Incogni believes that data privacy is critical to safeguarding individual privacy rights, promoting democratic values, and fostering human development in the digital age. We are taking legal action to ensure that companies that acquire, hold or trade personal information take data deletion requests seriously,” said Darius Belejevas, Head of Incogni.
The GfK Group is Germany’s largest market research company, providing data and intelligence to the consumer goods industry. The group has been making it unnecessarily difficult for Incogni customers to remove their personal data.
The GDPR gives citizens of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) the right to be forgotten. This means that companies are required to delete residents’ personal information upon request.
Residents of these jurisdictions can exercise this right by making appropriate requests to any company that holds their data, including companies such as the GfK Group. The GDPR also prohibits these companies from interfering with the exercise of these rights, often punishing violations with significant fines.
The scope of Incogni’s actions goes beyond the current complaint against GfK, as the company sees the effective handling of data deletion requests as the first step in a broader mission to establish a more equitable and inclusive digital landscape. privacy focused.
“Companies that process large amounts of user data, particularly data brokers, often make it very difficult for people to delete their data. Many of these companies require sensitive personal information to complete a deletion request,” he concluded. belejevas.
The potential impact of the DPA-requested action is far-reaching, as companies that handle substantial amounts of user data, particularly data brokers, often place unwarranted and unlawful obstacles to individuals seeking to remove their information. staff. These obstacles can come in many forms, including companies requiring highly sensitive personal data to process deletion requests. Companies operating inside and outside the EU are likely to closely monitor the outcome of these procedures.
Incogni is a personal information removal service that helps customers unsubscribe from intermediary databases. With the launch of deletion from people search sites, Incogni is now one of the most comprehensive personal information deletion services on the market, with coverage for more than 180 data brokers. The company’s mission is to empower people to take control of their personal information and protect their privacy. With its user-friendly platform and automated removal requests, Incogni makes it easy for clients to opt out of data brokers’ databases, saving them hundreds of hours of tedious work.
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