Right to de-register from an on-line forum

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Right to de-register from an on-line forum

Thanks for replies so far.
It seems that an email address IS personal data. Particularly if that email address is a persons business or main one.
But a forum owner who is not registered as a data-user under DPA can surely only store that information as long as the person to whom it relates consents? And that would be irrespective of terms and conditions being silent on the matter?

Indeed, I have an email address with my full name, but I don't use it to register on forums for that reason. When you first come across a forum you just don't know who runs it, what they're like or anything else, for that reason it's best to be cautious until you know more. :thumb:

Unless you are already banned you should be able to amend your email address yourself, and you can always set up a temporary anonymous email address just to receive the confirmation email.

There are lots of websites where you can set up free emails, even disposable ones that self-destruct after a certain period of time.

You could also, of course, use a proxy server if you wanted, thus retaining close to total anonymity. There is a very interesting article published by the ICO about when IP addresses constitute data.

Some sites discourage the use of proxies particularly when they've previously have problems with users who re-register. There are some services that are not identified as proxies as such. :ranger:

A normal IP address does not, in itself, constitute data as it cannot be linked to a person. Where the IP address is used for personal profiling and thus there is an attempt to link it to a specific person, it is then classified as personal data for the purposes of the DPA.

This is the general view of the ICO because IP addresses can be shared by lots of people using the same connection and because most residential broadband IPs are dynamic, meaning they change every time you get disconnected and re-connect. :nerd: :nerd: :nerd:

Work IP addresses generally resolve to a certain company name, they cannot identify you as a person but they can certainly find out where you work because normally only employees would have access to the company's network. If you want to avoid being associated with your employers, use your mobile or tablet but make sure it's not picking up the company network. Best way to ensure this is to turn off WiFi when you're at work, forcing your device to rely on your own mobile data plan instead. Mobile IPs are shared by lots of people, making it impossible to identify you. You can also turn off WiFi at home to use your mobile data plan, as long as you live somewhere with a decent mobile signal which isn't always the case.

[Wombats]

Re: Right to de-register from an on-line forum

If you want to avoid being associated with your employers, use your mobile or tablet but make sure it's not picking up the company network. Best way to ensure this is to turn off WiFi when you're at work, forcing your device to rely on your own mobile data plan instead. Mobile IPs are shared by lots of people, making it impossible to identify you. You can also turn off WiFi at home to use your mobile data plan, as long as you live somewhere with a decent mobile signal which isn't always the case.

You sound like an expert! I guess it also works the other way, that if you're parked outside McDonalds, Tesco or one of the other places that have free WiFi you could make yourself appear an employee of that company.

The group who have introduced the new measures against internet trolls have apprently suggested you should pay for one email address, and that way internet trolls would disappear overnight. I know (and I'm sure they do) that this is over simplistic and will never happen, but it's the sort of move I would really applaud.

It's not only a case of protecting your own identity, but of being able to prove you're NOT someone you're wrongly accused of being on a site. As I said further up, I find this a fascinating area.