Erasure request (GDPR Article 17)
Demand erasure of your personal data with a letter that follows GDPR requirements: ground, scope, one-month response deadline and your right to complain. Download PDF or .docx — and an .ics reminder that tells you when the reply should have arrived.
Other formats:
I am Matti Meikäläinen (Katuosoite 1, 00100 Helsinki). Under Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the General Data Protection Regulation), I request the erasure of all personal data concerning me that you hold. This request also covers data you have disclosed to third parties.
I withdraw my consent to the processing of my personal data (Article 7(3)). As the processing was based on consent and I have been informed of no other lawful basis, I request erasure under Article 17(1)(b).
I further require that erasure extends to all backup copies and copies between systems.
I expect your response no later than 21 September 2026. This is one month from receipt of this request (Article 12(3)). Should you require an extension, please inform me of it and its reasons in writing within one month — an extension is possible for up to two further months (Article 12(3)). If I do not receive an appropriate response within the deadline, or if I consider my request not to have been honoured as the law requires, I will lodge a complaint with the data protection authority competent for my place of residence (Article 77) and may seek a judicial remedy (Articles 78 and 79).
I request written confirmation of the measures taken in response to this request. Where you have disclosed my personal data onward, I request notification of any rectification, erasure or restriction of processing communicated to all recipients (Article 19).
What this letter covers
- Choice of erasure ground: consent withdrawal (Art. 17(1)(b)), objection (Art. 17(1)(c)) or general ground.
- Backup-copies clause — data must be erased from copies too.
- The one-month response deadline (Art. 12(3)) plus complaint rights before an authority (Art. 77) and court (Art. 79).
- Request for confirmation of action and recipient notification (Art. 19).
- The recipient is filled in manually: copy the address from the service's privacy policy or from a service guide on this site.
This is a general document template, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Who receives the erasure request?
The data controller responsible for processing. Their postal address is usually in the privacy policy under contact details — copy it into the recipient line. Many services also offer their own privacy web form, but a formal letter always works.
How quickly must they respond?
Within one month of receiving the request (GDPR Article 12(3)). The deadline can be extended by two more months, but only with an explanation sent to you. The generator's .ics reminder fires at the first deadline.
What if there is no reply?
You can lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority (GDPR Article 77) and seek a judicial remedy (Article 79). Both are referenced in the letter itself.
Where is my data stored?
Nowhere. The entire letter is built in your browser — form contents never leave your device and are never stored on a server.