GDPR – the General Data Protection Regulation – is the EU's data protection law that came into force in 2018. But what does it actually mean for your email and your digital privacy?
Your Five Most Important GDPR Rights
GDPR gives you five fundamental rights regarding how companies process your personal data, including your email address:
- Right to information: You have the right to know what data a company holds about you and how it is used.
- Right to rectification: Incorrect data must be corrected at your request.
- Right to be forgotten: You can request that a company delete all data about you, including your email address.
- Right to data portability: You can request your data in a machine-readable format.
- Right to object: You can object to your data being used for direct marketing.
What GDPR Means for Email Marketing
For those receiving email marketing, GDPR is clear: companies may only send you advertising if you have actively consented. They must keep a record of when and how you gave consent. You always have the right to withdraw your consent, and every marketing message must contain an unsubscribe link. If a company violates these rules, they can be reported to the relevant data protection authority in your country.
GDPR and Data Breaches: Your Rights
GDPR provides rights including access, correction and erasure. Rights have conditions and exceptions; deletion is not unconditional. Organizations need a valid legal basis for processing, but that basis is not always consent. See the data protection authority’s guidance for your situation. IMY.
How Temporary Email Gives You Even Stronger Protection
GDPR gives you rights after a company has collected your data. Temporary email protects you before they do. By using a disposable address when signing up for websites you don't fully trust, you avoid your real identity being registered at all. It's a practical complement to the legal rights GDPR gives you — the less data collected about you, the less there is to protect and the easier it is to exercise your rights.
Summary: Use Your GDPR Rights Actively
- Request deletion of your data from services you no longer use
- Unsubscribe from all marketing you don't want
- Report GDPR violations to your national data protection authority
- Use temporary email to minimise data collection from the start
Read our online privacy guide for more concrete steps, and visit our FAQ for common questions about temporary email and privacy.