How To Use Apple’s New Data And Privacy Section To Comply With GDPR

It is almost that time of the year when GDPR comes, every year we get a lot of policy changes, an introduction of new terms and conditions along with GDPR compliance for the services we use online. This year Apple has followed the flock by introducing new data and privacy page on its website. With data scandals by the other companies at hype, this seems to be a smart move. This portal lets you rectify your personal information. The tool is in compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Why was Data and Privacy feature needed?

Earlier users’ needed to contact AppleCare to make changes to get, delete and correct their data online. However, the new portal consolidates those separate initiatives into one central place. The Data and Privacy page allows the European users to automatically request to download the personal data that Apple has collected so far. In fact, user himself can make amendments to the stored data if incorrect information is presented.

How To Access Apple’s Data And Privacy Page

In order to get a copy of your data, you need to go to Apple’s Data and Privacy page at privacy.apple.com.

Step 1: You need to enter your Apple ID and password.

Step 2: If your screen prompts you to enter two-factor authentication code, then do the same.

Step 3: Hit Continue.

After accessing the page, you can modify the stored information if you think it’s not correct or also can deactivate or delete the account Apple ID account along with all the associated data.

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How To Get A Copy Of Your Data?

For now, this feature is only accessible in European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. However, the company has plans to expand the feature worldwide by the end of this year.

Step 1: First enter your Apple ID and password and then provide two-factor authentication code.

Step 2: Click Continue.

Step 3: Under Manage your data, you’ll notice “Get Started” written in blue color, you need to click on it.

Step 4: Now, you can review all the sections you want to download data from and checkmark the box beside them.

Step 5: Once, you’re done with above steps, hit “Continue”.

Step 6: Now, you can choose the preferred size from the drop-down box to get your data into the same sizes. You can select between 1 Gigabyte to 25 Gigabytes.

Step 7: Click on “Complete request” button that is located at the bottom.

Apple will notify you once the data is ready by sending an email on registered email id. Please keep in mind the process might take up to 7 days to complete the process.

How To Correct Your Data?

You can edit the stored data, if you think the information is incorrect, you can update the correct information.

Step 1: To access the Data and Privacy page, you need to enter your Apple ID and password. Provide two-factor authentication code to continue the process.

Step 2: Select Continue.

Step 3: Under Correct your data, you’ll notice “Get Started” written in blue color, you need to click on it.

Step 4: Now, you can check out the sections where you want to correct data related to your Apple ID or other data like Apple Store transactions.

How To Delete Your Account?

Step 1: Perform the above steps 1 and 2.

Step 2: Click on “Get Started” from “Delete your account”.

Step 3: You can review the provided info before initiating the deletion process.

Step 4: Follow the prompted steps by Apple before eliminating your account. This step is about to take back your data, sign you out of all the devices and many more.

Step 5: Now, select the reason that why you want to delete your account.

Step 6: Hit Continue.

Step 7: Have a look at the information about the deletion of your account one more time.

Step 8: Click on Continue button.

Step 9: Now go through the Deletion terms & conditions and don’t forget to checkmark the box to provide your confirmation once you’ve gone through the info and agree to the provided conditions.

Step 10: Hit Continue.

Step 11: Now, select how you want to get account status updates and choose Continue button.

Step 12: You’ll get a unique access code, which will help you to verify your identity whenever you’re talking to Apple support and click Continue button.

Note: You can use the unique access code to cancel the deletion process.

Step 13: Now, you need to click on “Delete account” button to eliminate your account and other related data.

Step 14: Apple will run the verification process before eliminating the account so your account will remain active at that particular time. The verification process will take up to 7 days.

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You can double check whether the process worked out for you or not by visiting Apple’s data and privacy page. You can enter the same account ID and password that you just used to delete the account. If the process worked then you’ll see a notification on the screen that “Your account is currently being deleted”.