A Case Study on the Removal of Outdated and Inaccurate Business Information

Issue

A business director approached Snapdragon Media with a pressing concern. Their personal home address was being circulated online, posing a significant breach of privacy and potential security risk. While the client understood that their business address was public information, they rightfully believed that their personal address should not be accessible online.

Understanding the gravity of the situation and its implications under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we formulated a strategy to address this privacy breach, focusing on the client’s rights under the Data Protection Act 2018, which incorporates GDPR into UK law.

What Actions Did Snapdragon Take

Our approach involved updating the client’s business correspondence address, submitting detailed requests to search engines, and invoking specific GDPR provisions. We emphasised Article 4(1), which defines personal data, and Article 17, known as the “Right to Erasure” or “Right to be Forgotten.” Additionally, we cited Article 18, which outlines the right to restrict the processing of personal data.

In our communication with the search engines, we stressed that while company details are public information, the display of the client’s previous personal address on 3rd party sites that are not required by law to provide such information was unnecessary and constituted a breach of privacy. We argued that the circulation of their home address through company searches represented a significant security risk for our client.

Results

Our efforts proved highly successful. We managed to remove over 180 links containing the client’s personal address from search engine results. This comprehensive removal process effectively safeguarded our client’s privacy and security in the digital sphere.

This case underscores the importance of vigilance in protecting personal data online, especially for individuals in public-facing roles. It also highlights the effectiveness of leveraging data protection laws to safeguard individual privacy rights in an increasingly interconnected world. For our client, our intervention allowed them to move forward with the peace of mind that their personal information was no longer readily accessible online, striking a balance between their professional visibility and personal privacy.