GDPR requests after a ban

If you're in the EU, EEA or UK, your data rights stay with you when the account is gone.

Stuck? Skip the letters and send your case to people who do this every day.

Two GDPR rights matter here. Article 15 gives you a copy of the personal data Meta holds about you, including information about automated decision-making. Article 22 gives you the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that significantly affects you, and to get human intervention. The UK GDPR has the same articles.

Template

Subject: Data subject access request and Article 22 objection – @[username] I request under Article 15 GDPR a copy of all personal data you hold about me and my account @[username] ([email]), including the data and the logic involved in the decision of [date] to disable my account. To the extent that decision was based solely on automated processing, I exercise my rights under Article 22(3) to obtain human intervention, to express my point of view and to contest the decision. Please respond within one month as required. [Full name]

Where to send it

Use Meta's privacy contact forms in the Privacy Center, or post it to the controller: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for EU and EEA users. Keep proof of the date you sent it.

If they don't answer in a month

Complain to your data protection authority. For Meta, the lead authority in the EU is Ireland's Data Protection Commission, but you can complain to your own national authority. UK users complain to the ICO.

Questions people ask

Can I make a GDPR request if my account is disabled?

Yes. Your rights apply to your data whether or not the account is active.

Will a data request get my account back?

Not by itself, but it puts a human on the paper trail and often goes well with an appeal.