web_docs/docs/legal/data-deletion.md

---
sidebar_position: 4
sidebar_label: Data Deletion Request
---

# Data Deletion Request

:::info[Your Right to Delete Your Data]
You have the right to request deletion of your personal data from Open Navigator at any time. This page explains how to submit a deletion request.
:::

## Quick Deletion Options

### Option 1: Delete Your Account (Self-Service)

If you have an Open Navigator account, you can delete it yourself:

1. **Log in** to your account at [www.communityone.com](https://www.communityone.com)
2. Navigate to **Settings** → **Account**
3. Click **"Delete Account"** button
4. Confirm deletion

**What gets deleted:**
- ✅ Your email address and profile information
- ✅ OAuth authentication tokens
- ✅ Saved searches and preferences
- ✅ Comments and contributions
- ✅ All personal account data

**Processing time:** Immediate (within seconds)

### Option 2: Email Request

If you cannot access your account or prefer email:

**Email:** johnbowyer@communityone.com  
**Subject:** Data Deletion Request  
**Include:**
- Your name
- Email address associated with your account
- OAuth provider used (Google, Facebook, HuggingFace, GitHub)
- Reason for deletion (optional)

**Processing time:** Within 30 days (typically within 1-3 business days)

### Option 3: Mail Request

Send written request to:

**CommunityOne**  
5617 Lakeridge Court  
Tuscaloosa, AL 35406

**Include:**
- Your name and signature
- Email address or account identifier
- Date of request

**Processing time:** Within 30 days of receipt

## What Data Gets Deleted

When you request account deletion, we permanently delete:

| Data Type | What Happens |
|-----------|-------------|
| **Email address** | Permanently deleted |
| **OAuth tokens** | Revoked and deleted |
| **Saved searches** | Permanently deleted |
| **User preferences** | Permanently deleted |
| **Comments/contributions** | Deleted or anonymized |
| **Profile information** | Permanently deleted |

## What Data is NOT Deleted

Some data is retained for legal or operational reasons:

| Data Type | Why Retained |
|-----------|-------------|
| **Public government data** | Not your personal data (already publicly available from government sources) |
| **Aggregated analytics** | De-identified and anonymized (cannot be linked back to you) |
| **Legal compliance logs** | Required by law for fraud prevention and security |

## OAuth Provider-Specific Deletion

### Facebook Login Users

If you logged in with Facebook, you can also request deletion through Facebook:

1. Go to **Settings & Privacy** → **Settings** → **Apps and Websites**
2. Find **Open Navigator** in your app list
3. Click **Remove** or **Request Data Deletion**

Facebook will forward your deletion request to us automatically via our [Data Deletion Callback](https://www.communityone.com/api/data-deletion/facebook).

**Confirmation:** You'll receive a confirmation code showing your request was processed.

### Google Login Users

If you logged in with Google:

1. Delete your Open Navigator account (see Option 1 above), **OR**
2. Revoke access at [Google Account Permissions](https://myaccount.google.com/permissions)
3. Email us to request data deletion: johnbowyer@communityone.com

### GitHub Login Users

If you logged in with GitHub:

1. Delete your Open Navigator account (see Option 1 above), **OR**
2. Revoke access at [GitHub Settings → Applications](https://github.com/settings/applications)
3. Email us to request data deletion: johnbowyer@communityone.com

### HuggingFace Login Users

If you logged in with HuggingFace:

1. Delete your Open Navigator account (see Option 1 above), **OR**
2. Revoke access at [HuggingFace Settings → Connected Apps](https://huggingface.co/settings/connected-applications)
3. Email us to request data deletion: johnbowyer@communityone.com

## Verification & Confirmation

To protect your privacy, we may ask you to verify your identity before processing deletion requests:

**Acceptable verification methods:**
- Responding from the email address associated with your account
- Logging in to your account to initiate self-service deletion
- Providing OAuth provider details (Google, Facebook, etc.)

**Confirmation:**
- Self-service deletion: Immediate confirmation message
- Email requests: Confirmation email within 1-3 business days
- Mail requests: Confirmation letter mailed within 30 days

## Timeline & Processing

| Request Method | Verification Time | Deletion Time | Confirmation |
|---------------|------------------|---------------|-------------|
| **Self-service** | Immediate | Immediate | On-screen message |
| **Email** | 1-3 business days | 1-3 business days | Email confirmation |
| **Mail** | 5-10 business days | 1-3 business days | Mailed confirmation |
| **Facebook callback** | Automatic | Immediate | Confirmation code |

**Maximum time:** All requests processed within 30 days as required by CCPA and GDPR.

## California (CCPA) & European (GDPR) Rights

### California Residents (CCPA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to:
- Request disclosure of data collected about you
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Opt-out of sale of personal information (we do NOT sell data)

**To exercise CCPA rights:**
- Email: johnbowyer@communityone.com
- Subject: "CCPA Data Deletion Request"

### European Residents (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to:
- Erasure ("right to be forgotten")
- Data portability (receive your data in machine-readable format)
- Restriction of processing
- Object to processing

**To exercise GDPR rights:**
- Email: johnbowyer@communityone.com
- Subject: "GDPR Data Deletion Request"

**Supervisory Authority:** You may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

## Data Retention After Deletion

After account deletion:

| Timeframe | What Happens |
|-----------|-------------|
| **Immediate** | Account disabled, login no longer works |
| **24 hours** | Personal data removed from active systems |
| **30 days** | Backups purged, data permanently deleted |
| **90 days** | Logs and audit trails expired |

**No recovery:** Once deleted, your data cannot be recovered. Make sure to download any data you want to keep before requesting deletion.

## Questions or Problems?

If you have trouble requesting deletion or have questions:

**Email:** johnbowyer@communityone.com  
**Subject:** Data Deletion Assistance  
**GitHub Issues:** [Report a problem](https://github.com/getcommunityone/open-navigator-for-engagement/issues)

**Response time:** We aim to respond to all inquiries within 2-3 business days.

---

## Related Documentation

- **[Privacy Policy](./privacy-policy.md)** - How we collect and use data
- **[Terms of Service](./terms-of-service.md)** - Usage terms and conditions
- **[Data Provider Terms](./data-provider-terms.md)** - Third-party data sources

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:::tip[Before You Delete]
**Consider these alternatives:**
- **Unsubscribe from emails** - Keep account but stop email notifications
- **Clear saved searches** - Remove searches without deleting account
- **Revoke OAuth access** - Disconnect social logins but keep account
- **Take a break** - Account remains until you're ready to use it again

Only delete if you're certain you won't return!
:::