EU already has this with the GDPR. Only limitation are retention periods required by law, like employee data needs to be kept for ten years in Germany for example, but for the duration whoever has the data must block it from being processed for anything but the legal requirment, as that becomes the legal basis for processing (storing in this case) and no other uses are allowed until deletion.

Only applies to EU citizens though plenty companies have implemented straightforward ways to delete an account for everyone.

Wouldn’t this fall under existing “Right To Be Forgotten”/privacy rules in the EU??

As far as I’ve seen, on 99% of websites that I use, there’s a Delete account button. And I believe that’s because of GDPR.

As others have noted, the EU’s GDPR does contain a Right to Delete. Some states have implemented the right on an individual basis, but it’s going to be difficult to implement on a national basis because of the current political climate. A nationwide federal privacy law was in the works, but it contained a poison pill in the form of federal preemption, meaning that it would set a hard ceiling for data privacy that states wouldn’t be free to exceed with their own legislation.

If you’ve got the time, I would encourage you to reach out to your representative in the state legislature to advocate for a state privacy law. You can point towards California’s CCPA or Colorado’s CPA as examples of already active privacy law. Companies are already supposed to be in compliance with these laws, but only with respect to consumers in those states. Point out that there shouldn’t be much (if any) additional burden to extend that protection to your state. Your state AG can’t enforce your privacy rights if they’re not enshrined in legislation.

They might delete your account but the data is something else.

There was a rulethat was close to being enacted by the FTC that had to do with that, the “click-to-cancel” rule. It was supposed to go into effect 2 weeks ago.

It would have required companies to “make it as easy to cancel, as it was to sign up” for tons of things in the US.

It said that companies had to provide an easy way to cancel, that took equally long as signing up or less, AND via the same medium. So companies couldn’t make you call to cancel if you signed up online.

Unfortunately, it was stopped by the 8th circuit court, who deemed it “outside the FTC’s authority” which is absolute bullshit, that’s why they exist.

I really hope it manages to get pushed through somehow, because so many companies are just the absolute worst scumbags and constantly getting away with it.

edit: it’s not quite the same as deleting an account, i realize that. it still would have enabled a lot of these ‘services’ to get shut down easily.

I have an old account I am locked out of due to 2FA I don’t have access to. I really want to get rid of that account, due to its content, which is publicly available for anyone to see. But alas, 'tis not possible. MFers running the forum won’t answer my emails, whether I request sensibly and professionally for help, or threaten them with GDPR. Or act like I want my account back for use. GDPR people also haven’t been very helpful (I’ve gone as far as providing evidence of contact. Have once heard “They 'Murican. Not EU. \shrugs”). Having cleaned out old, unused accounts, finding said account is easy due to a lack of other stuff to fill up search results, and having used a common username of mine for it was also dumb of me. I dream of the day said account is gone, for my peace of mind. But alas, at least half a decade trying. And it got me nowhere

100% agree. This should be as easy as creating a new account.

Alas, this :

Maybe the EU will pass some legislation that will carry over to the US . . .

Is highly unlikely.

The EU just knelt once more to the USA (and to Trump) and that won’t end here. I have little doubt USA next target in the EU will be most if not all regulations regarding data handling/protection. US businesses need data more than ever (at the very least because of AI), including EU citizens data.