GDPR and Your Twitter Data: What You Need to Know
Understanding your data rights under GDPR, how to request your information, and exercising your right to be forgotten.
If you're an EU resident, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you powerful rights over your social media data. This comprehensive guide explains exactly what you can request, how companies must respond, and how to protect your digital privacy.
Your GDPR Rights on Social Media
Under GDPR, you have eight fundamental rights regarding your personal data on platforms like Twitter:
- Right to Access (Article 15): Request a copy of all your data
- Right to Rectification (Article 16): Correct inaccurate data
- Right to Erasure (Article 17): "Right to be forgotten"
- Right to Restrict Processing (Article 18): Limit how data is used
- Right to Data Portability (Article 20): Transfer data between services
- Right to Object (Article 21): Stop certain data processing
- Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making (Article 22): Challenge AI decisions
- Right to Be Informed: Know how your data is being used
How to Request Your Twitter Data Archive
Twitter (X) must provide your complete data archive within 30 days of your request:
What's Included in Your Data Archive
- All tweets, retweets, and replies
- Direct messages (sent and received)
- Likes, bookmarks, and lists
- Account creation date and profile history
- Login history and IP addresses
- Ad targeting data and interests
- Contacts uploaded from your phone
- Age, phone number, email address
- Inferred demographics and interests
Step-by-Step: Requesting Your Archive
- Log in to Twitter/X and go to Settings → Privacy and Safety
- Click "Download an archive of your data"
- Verify your password
- Twitter will email you when the archive is ready (usually 24-72 hours)
- Download the ZIP file from the email link
The Right to Be Forgotten: Limitations
While GDPR gives you the right to erasure, there are important exceptions:
✓ When Erasure MUST Be Granted
- Data no longer necessary for original purpose
- You withdraw consent and no other legal basis exists
- You successfully object to processing
- Data was processed unlawfully
- Legal obligation requires erasure
✗ When Companies Can Refuse Erasure
- Exercising freedom of expression and information
- Complying with a legal obligation
- Public interest in public health
- Archiving in the public interest, scientific/historical research
- Exercise or defense of legal claims
Third-Party Data Scrapers and GDPR
A critical issue: What happens when third parties have already scraped and stored your Twitter data?
⚠️ The Archive Problem
Even if Twitter deletes your data, third-party archive services (Archive.org, specialized data brokers, research databases) may still retain copies. Under GDPR, these entities are also data controllers and must respond to your erasure requests—but enforcement is complex.
Reputation Screening and GDPR Compliance
When companies conduct social media background checks on you, GDPR applies:
Your Rights During Background Checks
- Right to Be Informed: You must be told if social media screening will occur
- Right to Access: You can request what data was collected about you
- Right to Challenge: Contest inaccurate or misleading interpretations
- Right to Human Review: Automated decisions must allow human intervention
- Data Minimization: Only relevant data for the specific purpose should be processed
- Storage Limitation: Data must not be kept longer than necessary
GDPR-Compliant Reputation Analysis
Repazoo follows strict GDPR compliance standards for all EU residents, including full transparency and data subject rights.
Learn About Our GDPR ComplianceKey Takeaways
- EU residents have strong data rights under GDPR for social media
- You can request a complete data archive from Twitter within 30 days
- Right to erasure exists but has important exceptions
- Third-party data scrapers are also subject to GDPR
- Background screening companies must follow GDPR compliance rules
- You have the right to challenge automated decisions
About Michael Patel
Michael Patel is a privacy and data protection specialist with expertise in GDPR compliance and digital rights. He advises organizations on privacy-by-design principles and helps individuals understand their data rights.