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Free Right to Erasure Request Template

The right to erasure allows you to request that an organisation deletes your personal data. Use our free UK template to exercise your Article 17 rights under the UK GDPR and have your data permanently removed.

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John Williams
32 Oak Avenue, Manchester M1 2AB
07700 900321
john.williams@email.co.uk
9 March 2026
DataCo Ltd
50 Tech Park, London EC2V 8RT
Attn: Rachel Henderson — Data Protection Officer
RE: RIGHT TO ERASURE REQUEST — UK GDPR ARTICLE 17
Response due: 30 days
Dear Sir or Madam,

I write to exercise my right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") under Article 17 of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, Part 2 Chapter 2, and require you as controller to erase without undue delay all personal data concerning me that falls within the scope of this request.
1.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE DATA SUBJECT
I am: John Williams, date of birth 22 September 1980, account/reference DC-112233, email john.williams@email.co.uk, as a former customer whose account or service relationship has ended. I submit this request in accordance with the modalities set out in Article 12 of the UK GDPR. Pursuant to Article 12(6), where you have reasonable doubts as to my identity you may request additional information strictly necessary to confirm it; I am willing to provide a copy of a UK passport or driving licence for this purpose on request.
2.
PERSONAL DATA TO BE ERASED
I request erasure of the following categories of my personal data:

— All account data and purchase history
— Marketing profiles, cookie IDs and behavioural profiling data
— Contact information held in CRM and email-service-provider systems
— Any data shared with advertising partners (Meta, Google)
3.
LEGAL GROUND FOR ERASURE
I rely on the following ground for erasure: the personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed, pursuant to Article 17(1)(a) of the UK GDPR. The specific circumstances are as follows: I closed my DataCo account on 1 January 2024 and have no active relationship with your organisation. Retention of my data beyond this point is no longer necessary for the original purposes for which it was collected.
4.
NOTIFICATION OF PUBLIC LINKS — ARTICLE 17(2)
Where you have made the personal data public, I require you, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, to take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform other controllers who are processing the personal data that I have requested the erasure by them of any links to, or copy or replication of, such personal data, pursuant to Article 17(2) of the UK GDPR. The principles established in Google Spain v AEPD (C-131/12) and NT1 and NT2 v Google LLC [2018] EWHC 799 (QB) apply to the extent that my data has been indexed, syndicated or shared with search engines or third-party platforms.
5.
NOTIFICATION OF RECIPIENTS — ARTICLE 19
Pursuant to Article 19 of the UK GDPR, you must communicate the erasure of my personal data to each recipient to whom it has been disclosed, unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort. I further require you to inform me, on request, of those recipients.
6.
RESPONSE DEADLINE AND WRITTEN CONFIRMATION
You are required to respond without undue delay and in any event within one calendar month of receipt of this request pursuant to Article 12(3) of the UK GDPR. I require your substantive response within that one-calendar-month period. That period may be extended by a further two months only where the request is complex or numerous, in which case you must inform me of the extension and the reasons for it within one month of receipt. Please confirm in writing, without undue delay, when erasure has been completed and the date on which it took effect, identifying the categories of data erased and the systems from which it was removed (including any backup, archive, processor and cloud-storage locations).
7.
NO FEE PAYABLE
This request is made free of charge pursuant to Article 12(5) of the UK GDPR. You may charge a reasonable fee, or refuse to act, only where the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive — in particular because of its repetitive character — and in that event you bear the burden of demonstrating that it is so. I do not consider this request to be manifestly unfounded or excessive.
8.
LEGAL BASIS AND ENFORCEMENT
This request is made pursuant to Articles 12, 17, 19 and (where applicable) 21 of the UK GDPR, read with the Data Protection Act 2018, Part 2 Chapter 2. If you fail to comply, or comply only in part without lawful justification, I reserve my statutory rights to:
— lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under section 165 of the Data Protection Act 2018;
— seek compensation under Article 82 of the UK GDPR and section 168 of the Data Protection Act 2018 for any material or non-material damage (including distress) caused by non-compliance; and
— apply for a judicial remedy, including an order for compliance, under Article 79 and section 167 DPA 2018.

Please direct all correspondence to John Williams using the contact details set out in this letter. I look forward to receiving your substantive response within the time required.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,
John Williams
Data Subject — 9 March 2026
Date: ____________________

What Is the Right to Erasure?

The right to erasure, also known as the right to be forgotten, is a data subject right under Article 17 of the UK GDPR. It allows individuals to request that an organisation deletes their personal data in certain circumstances.

The right applies when the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, when you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing, when you object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds, when the data has been unlawfully processed, or when deletion is required to comply with a legal obligation.

The UK right to erasure is not absolute. British organisations can refuse the request if the data is needed for exercising the right of freedom of expression, complying with a legal obligation, public health purposes, archiving in the public interest, or establishing, exercising or defending legal claims under English law.

What's Covered in This Template

Our right to erasure template helps you make a clear, legally grounded deletion request.

Your Identity

Full name, address and identity verification information to confirm you are the data subject.

Organisation Details

Name, address and DPO contact details of the organisation holding your data.

Data to Be Deleted

Specific description of the personal data you want erased, or a request for all data to be deleted.

Legal Basis for Erasure

The specific Article 17 ground on which your request is based.

Consent Withdrawal

If applicable, formal withdrawal of any consent previously given for data processing.

Third-Party Notification

Request that the organisation informs any third parties to whom the data was disclosed of the erasure.

Online Data

Specific request for deletion of data published online, including cached and archived copies.

Response Deadline

Reminder of the one-month statutory deadline for response under the UK GDPR.

Confirmation Request

Request for written confirmation once the data has been deleted.

ICO Complaint Warning

Notice that failure to comply will result in a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

How to Make a Right to Erasure Request

Follow these steps to request the deletion of your personal data.

  1. 1

    Identify the Organisation

    Determine which organisation holds the data you want deleted and find their DPO or privacy team contact details.

  2. 2

    Specify the Data

    Describe the personal data you want deleted. Be as specific as possible to help the organisation locate and process your request efficiently.

  3. 3

    State Your Legal Ground

    Identify which Article 17 ground applies to your request, such as withdrawal of consent, data no longer necessary, or unlawful processing.

  4. 4

    Send the Request

    Complete the template and send it to the organisation by email or post. Include identity verification documents.

  5. 5

    Follow Up

    The organisation has one month to respond. If they refuse or fail to respond, you can escalate to the ICO.

Legal Considerations

The right to erasure has specific conditions and exceptions that both parties should understand.

This template is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation.

Reviewed for England & Wales law

Grounds for Erasure

Article 17(1) of the UK GDPR lists six grounds: data no longer necessary, consent withdrawn, objection to processing with no overriding grounds, unlawful processing, legal obligation to erase, and data collected from a child in relation to information society services. At least one ground must apply under British data protection law.

Exceptions to Erasure

Article 17(3) of the UK GDPR sets out exceptions where the right does not apply. These include processing necessary for freedom of expression, compliance with a legal obligation in England and Wales, public health, archiving in the public interest, and establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.

Third-Party Notification

Under Article 17(2) of the UK GDPR, where the British controller has made the data public, it must take reasonable steps to inform other controllers processing the data that the data subject has requested erasure. This includes links, copies and replications of the data in the United Kingdom.

Backup and Archive Data

The UK ICO recognises that complete erasure from backup systems may not always be immediately feasible. However, the British organisation should put the data beyond use and ensure it is deleted from backups when they are next recycled. The organisation should not actively use backup data after a UK erasure request.

Frequently Asked Questions

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