How to request deletion of your data

The process

1. Find the right address. Look for privacy@, dpo@, or a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in the site footer. The privacy policy names the contact — it's legally required to.
2. Send the request in writing. Email, so you have a timestamp. Use the template below.
3. Expect an identity check. This is legitimate, but give them the minimum — the email address already on the account, not a photo of your passport.
4. Log the date you sent it. A spreadsheet with company, date sent, date due, and outcome is the whole trick to seeing this through.
5. Escalate if ignored. Silence past the deadline is a violation. In the UK, complain to the ICO; in the EU, your national data protection authority; in California, the CPPA or the Attorney General. A single line mentioning that you'll do this often produces a sudden reply.

Template — GDPR (EU / UK)

Subject: Erasure request under Article 17 GDPR

To whom it may concern,

I am a data subject and I request the erasure of all personal
data you hold about me, under Article 17 of the UK/EU GDPR.

Identifying details: [your name], [email address used with the
service], [account username if any].

Please also:
  1. Confirm in writing once erasure is complete.
  2. Inform any third parties or processors to whom you have
     disclosed my data, as required by Article 19.
  3. Confirm the erasure of any backups or archives, or state
     the retention period if a legal exemption applies.

If you refuse this request in whole or part, please state the
specific lawful basis for that refusal.

I expect a response within one month, as required by Article 12(3).

Regards,
[your name]

Template — CCPA / CPRA (California)

Subject: Request to delete personal information (CCPA/CPRA)

To whom it may concern,

I am a California resident. Under the California Consumer
Privacy Act as amended, I request that you:

  1. Delete all personal information you have collected
     about me.
  2. Direct any service providers and third parties to do
     the same.
  3. Stop selling or sharing my personal information
     (opt-out of sale/sharing).
  4. Confirm in writing what was deleted and what, if
     anything, you retained and under which exemption.

Identifying details: [your name], [email address], [account
username if any].

I expect a response within 45 days.

Regards,
[your name]

What deletion won't reach

• Search results. Google indexes pages; it doesn't own them. Get the source page removed first, then submit a removal request for the outdated result.
• Breach dumps. Once leaked, copies exist forever. Rotate the passwords instead — see Is my password out there?
• Archives and public records. The Wayback Machine, court filings, and business registries follow their own rules.
• Data brokers you haven't found. There are hundreds. This is where deletion services earn their fee.