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Original poster

Private Messages "deleted at user's request"

21 replies

SoupDragon · 22/05/2019 16:00

In my "sent" messages were some which had family history details in that I wanted to keep. These are now showing as "deleted at user's request" except I certainly did not ask for them to be deleted. How can someone else ask to have my private messages deleted?

Private Messages "deleted at user's request"
OP posts:
HappyHammy · 22/05/2019 16:02

It.might.just be an error. Report your thread.and ask MNHQ.

dancingthroughthedark · 22/05/2019 16:05

I noticed the same in my private messages recently. In both the inbox and sent box. I hadn't asked for anything to be deleted.

Redshoeblueshoe · 22/05/2019 16:06

After the last security breach a lot of ones I had received had been deleted.
I wish I knew how to delete all of mine in one go.

MNHQ
LilyMumsnet · 05/06/2019 17:42

Hi OP,

We've asked our tech team - we'll get back to you when we know more. Flowers

MNHQ
LilyMumsnet · 09/06/2019 13:32

Hello,

Thanks so much for your patience.

We can see why this has happened. If a user deletes their account or messages, then all messages in the chain are removed, including your own. This came into place after GDPR.

BoomBoomsCousin · 10/06/2019 00:38

Are you planning on rectifying it Lily? It's really disconcerting that you would delete our words because someone else has quit the site/deleted their own messages. It surely isn't actually required by GDPR, is it?

Original poster
SoupDragon · 17/06/2019 17:03

If a user deletes their account or messages, then all messages in the chain are removed, including your own.

Some of my messages would have been the very first in the chain and therefore nothing to do with the other poster. How can this have anything to do with GDPR? Regardless, it is my data, not theirs.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 17/06/2019 17:05

I can't get that family history information back.

OP posts:
OverseasWorker · 17/06/2019 17:07

When one of the MN a staff talk about their tech team, I always imagine the teenage son of one them beavering away in his bedroom.

LIZS · 17/06/2019 17:10

Surely you can just redact the poster's id without affecting the content.

BoomBoomsCousin · 17/06/2019 21:11

@LilyMumsnet any update on whether this is going to be reversed/rectified?

Original poster
SoupDragon · 22/06/2019 06:30

I think we all know the answer to that.

OP posts:
MNHQ
SophieLMumsnet · 22/06/2019 13:17

Sorry, all - as you've guessed, we don't have an answer to this just yet, but bear with us and we'll chase this up. We won't be able to get back to you over the weekend so it's likely to be next week Flowers

Original poster
SoupDragon · 13/07/2019 17:48

so it's likely to be next week

Or not.

OP posts:
MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 17/07/2019 12:29

Hi everyone. Thanks for your patience with this.

We've done a bit of digging into this. In short, we set this system up around the time of GDPR coming in and were erring on the side of caution obviously. It's true that some sites don't regard PMs as personal data but we decided that the safest thing was to do so.

We don't have any plans to change the process currently but it is something we're going to think about and we'll be looking at potential options.

In the meantime, we know it won't save any PMs already deleted but if you're sending or receiving a PM with info in that is really vital and you know you'll want to keep, the best thing to do is c&p the relevant bits into a document for yourself. A bit of a basic workaround, we know, but it's an option.

Sorry we can't be more help right now but, as we say, we're going to keep it on our list for future discussions.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 17/07/2019 12:37

But you have deleted my PMs. My data. I did not ask for this and I really really would like it back.

How can I C&P the relevant data when you've just deleted the PMs without telling anyone? There was no mention of this at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 17/07/2019 12:37

A bit of a basic workaround, we know, but it's an option

It's not an option though is it?

OP posts:
MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 17/07/2019 12:44

Hi again Soupdragon,

We're really sorry but no, there isn't anything we can do about your PM that was deleted. This cutting and pasting idea was only a suggestion for any future PMs. And yes, just to be clear, if someone deregs, all the PMs in a chain with them will be deleted, including those the deregging person didn't write.

We do see why that's come as a surprise and we're sorry we didn't make it clearer at the time. As we said, it is something we're going to have a think about, and we will pass your thoughts about it on when we have that discussion, but there aren't any immediate plans to change the system, we're afraid.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 17/07/2019 12:48

I instigated the PMs so the very first one, with all my information, had no chain.

Thinking about it is perhaps something you should have done earlier. It's no help now.

OP posts:
Original poster
SoupDragon · 17/07/2019 12:48

As you may have gathered, I'm really really upset about this.

OP posts:
BoomBoomsCousin · 19/07/2019 12:03

I think this is pretty contemptuous towards your users, MN.

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