Right to Erasure

Under the DPDP Act, the Right to Erasure allows a Data Principal to request the deletion of their personal data held by a Data Fiduciary. This right supports responsible data lifecycle management by enabling individuals to seek removal of personal data that is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or processed.

Organizations must evaluate erasure requests while considering applicable requirements, including whether the personal data is still required for a lawful purpose or needs to be retained due to legal obligations. Effective erasure processes require organizations to identify relevant personal data across systems, remove or delete it appropriately, and maintain records of actions taken.

Managing erasure requests can be complex because personal data may exist across databases, applications, backups, and third-party systems. Data Fiduciaries need appropriate visibility and workflows to respond effectively while maintaining compliance and operational continuity.

In practice, gaps emerge when:

• Organizations cannot locate all personal data associated with a Data Principal.
• Personal data remains stored across disconnected systems.
• Deletion processes are manual and inconsistent.
• Third-party data copies are not tracked.
• Organizations cannot demonstrate completion of deletion requests.

Organizations address these challenges by maintaining data inventories, mapping personal data flows, implementing deletion workflows, managing Data Processor relationships, and tracking request resolution. Within Privy, capabilities such as data discovery, data mapping, rights management workflows, and compliance reporting help organizations manage Data Principal deletion requests.