europe-v-facebook.org

Get your Data!
Make an Access Request at Facebook!

According to European data protection law every individual has the right to get a copy of all personal data a company holds about him (right to access). This law is applicable to Facebook too. Every user with a residence outside of the US and Canada has a contract with “Facebook Ireland Limited”, based in Dublin, Ireland and has a right to access therefore.
(Again: Anyone outside of the US or Canada has the right to access!)

By sending an access request you get an idea about the use of your personal data by Facebook. It also shows Facebook that users care about their data and privacy.

Note: Facebook has made it more and more difficult to get access to your data. Users get routed to a “download tool” that only gives you a copy of your own profile, which is only a fraction of all data Facebook stores about you. You can make a complaint to the Irish Data Protection Commission, but the Commission seems to turn down all complaints that were filed. Therefore we have now also posted forms which allow you to complain at the European Commission if the Irish authority does not enforce your right to access fully.

1^st Step: Make a legal access request

Request via E-Mail

1. Correct your Data
If you used a wrong name or birth date on facebook, you have to correct it before you request your data.

2. Fill out our Form
Open your prepared E-Mail and fill out your name, e-mail and birth date.
>> <<

3. Send your E-Mail
Click “send” and wait to get your data from Facebook.

4. Get a Standard Reply
Facebook will reply with some standard answer about privacy. Don’t worry your access request is valid no matter if Facebook answers with some random e-mail!

Request via Regular Mail

1. Correct your Data
If you used a wrong name or birth date on facebook, you have to correct it before you request your data.

2. Fill our our Form
We have prepared two standard forms: Word (.doc) or PDF

3. Send it to Facebook
Address:
Facebook Ireland Limited
Hanover Reach
5-7 Hanover Quay
Dublin 2
IRELAND

Online Form

Facebook has removed it’s online form after thousands of requests on the 4th of November.

Now users are rerouted to a “download tool” that does not give the users a right to access!

When using this tool you only get a copy of your profile, but non of the data Facebook holds or generates in the background. This means you only get about 29% of your data!

We currently discourage you from using the online tool, since you will loose your right to access by only clicking on the tool!

Note: Facebook’s “Download Tools” do not give you a copy of all data!

For a while now Facebook has been fooling its users and sends them a link to a “download tool” where you can download a small fraction of your data (about half of the data categories Facebook is holding). If you did not receive more information by Facebook, you should file a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission to ensure that your right to access all files is enforced. All the details below at “Step 2”.

2^nd Step: File a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Authority

Got the Link to the “download tool”?
Facebook has 40 days by law to send your data to you, but right now Facebook is sending back e-mails in minutes that only refer to the “download tools”. If you got this e-mail you can make a complaint right after receiving it and you don’t have to wait for anything more.

E-Mail to the Irish Data Protection Commissioner
You can send an informal complaint to the Irish Data Protection Commissioner.

Note: To streamline the process we would suggest to use the provided form.

>> via E-Mail:
- A complaint (form) AND
- A copy of the e-mails you received from Facebook
to info@dataprotection.ie

Forms to print an scan	Word (.docx)	PDF	weiter Formate folgen bald
Forms you can fill out on you computer	Word (.docx)	PDF	weiter Formate folgen bald

>> via Online-Form
Alternatively you can fill out the Commission's online form.
You should clearly indicate the date of your access request.

NOTE: If the Irish Data Protection Authority does not enforce you right full...

The Irish DPC hase moved towards sending users a “standard e-mail” that more or less ignores the complaints. You should ask the DPC to make a “formal decision” on the complaint. If the Irish DPC is not making a formal decision, or does not fully enforce your right to access you should make a complaint to the EU, because of non-enforcement of EU law. >> More Information here!