Request for CCPA data anonymization

I’m requesting the anonymization of my personal data and the pseudonymization of my user profile.
Just a quick heads-up: when CCPA regulations first kicked in, I wasn't actually given an option to anonymize my info, and I definitely don't consent to this site collecting my personal details.
By "personal data," I mean anything that could pin down who I am—stuff like physical descriptions, where I live, who I work for, any photos or videos I've posted that show my identity, or even personal info tucked away in links I've shared.

Before I get hit with a standard canned response, I should probably mention that the fines for violating CCPA are pretty massive. It seems to me that this site hasn't quite aligned its operations with CCPA standards yet, and I want to remind everyone that I have the right to request an audit of all my posts here and demand the removal of any content containing my private information.

Here are some examples of fines handed out for CCPA violations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDPR_fines_and_notices

It’s been two days since I sent in my request. Any idea when I might see my profile anonymized and pseudonymized?

It’s been five days now. If I don't hear back soon, I might actually have to look into some legal options against this violator:

Monitor and Reddit, Inc.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500

Checking account: 2392007-1100063321
Tax ID: 1489194
SSN: 96562651932
e-mail:desk@monitor.com
phone:555-012-3456

Legal action? Honestly, you’re just chasing your tail at this point. Besides, I don't even see what kind of payout you'd get—or on what legal grounds—even if you spent the next decade running yourself ragged through the court system.

When you signed up for Reddit, Inc., you agreed to certain "terms," so it’s pretty much anyone's guess what exactly you're protesting or what your actual grievance is. I read your opening post, but I'm still lost. How could anyone even begin to misuse your data on a site where you log in with a handle instead of your full name? You can use any email address you want—you could make one up right now—and you get to decide exactly how much (or how little) of your personal life you share with the rest of us.
So, I'm just being blunt: I don't see how your info is being compromised by some third party via identity theft.🤷

Robin Clark said:It’s been five days now. If I don't get a response shortly, I will be forced to consider legal action against the offender.

Monitor and Reddit, Inc.
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
Checking account number: 2392007-1100063321
Identification number: 1489194
Tax ID: 96562651932
e-mail:desk@Monitor.com
Contact me at: 555-0199

So, you can side with that one user who’s threatening to sue Reddit, Inc. just because a moderator made a call.☕

Donna Watson65 said:Legal action is nothing more than chasing shadows. Honestly, I fail to see what kind of restitution you’d actually secure—not to mention the legal grounds for even attempting it—if you ended up dragging yourself through the court system for an entire decade.

By registering for this site, you’ve already agreed to certain "terms and conditions." Honestly, I can't quite wrap my head around what exactly you're protesting or what you're even complaining about. I read your opening post, but I’m still lost. How could anyone possibly abuse your data here? You sign up with a handle instead of your legal name, you use an email address—which, let's be real, you could easily fake if you felt like it—and you get to decide exactly how much of your private life you want to share with the rest of the community. It’s like worrying about someone stealing your shadow when you haven't even stepped out of the house yet.
So, I’m essentially suggesting that your data has been compromised by some third-party interest, likely paving the way for potential identity theft. It's a classic domino effect. One small crack in the dam, and suddenly the whole reservoir is empty. 🤷

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I agree. Reddit, Inc. doesn't actually use or even know your full legal name, so you don't have any actual grounds for a lawsuit. It’s like trying to sue a cloud for raining on you—there's simply no foundation there.

Donna Watson65 said:Legal action? Honestly, you might as well be chasing your own tail. I really don't see what kind of payout you'd actually get—not that anyone could even figure out the legal grounds for it—even if you spent the next ten years running yourself ragged through the court system.

When you sign up for a site like Reddit, Inc., you're agreeing to certain terms and conditions. Honestly, I’m still a little fuzzy on what exactly people are protesting or complaining about here. I went back and read your opening post, but I’m still struggling to wrap my head around it. How could someone actually misuse your data on a platform where you use a nickname instead of your legal name? You can just make up an email address if you want—it doesn't have to be real! Plus, you get to decide exactly how much of your personal life you want to share with the rest of the community. It's all pretty much under your control.
So, I guess what you're saying is my data might be totally compromised because some third party wants to get their hands on it, maybe for identity theft or something? 🤷

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Who am I talking to?
Are you guys actually representing Monitor and Reddit, Inc.? And like, are you speaking on their behalf?

Just a heads-up: Monitor and Reddit, Inc. haven't actually aligned their operations with CCPA regulations. Since they're technically out of compliance, your internal rules don't really apply to me. They're breaking the law and violating my privacy, so I’m just stepping up to exercise my right to demand that all my personal data be wiped immediately.

How are they actually going to pull that off? They’re refusing to delete posts, and this profile has nearly 1,000 entries. Honestly, it doesn't even affect me, but I'm just curious about the logistics.

Those sticky threads where they tell you they won't delete your personal info even if you ask? That’s basically a straight-up confession. It's like they're handing over the evidence themselves.

I'm telling you guys, they’ll change their tune the second someone actually sues them. It hasn't happened yet, though.

From here on out, I’m only going to be talking directly with official representatives—you know, the people actually acting on behalf of Monitor and Reddit, Inc.

Look, I'm not looking for a debate here. This is just me making a personal request.

So, what kind of crime are we even talking about here? 🤔

Not at all. That anger most likely stems from a disagreement over some moderator's "intervention."

Purely out of curiosity—and since I’ve got zero ties to the legal side of Monitor or Reddit, Inc.—can someone actually make sense of what this guy is rambling about?

it's my right to demand they wipe all my personal data.

What personal data? His freaking username? 🤔

Pinned threads where users are told their personal info won't be deleted upon request are basically a confession to a crime.

I don't even know what a "pinned thread" is, but what personal data are we talking about here, whose, and why would it need deleting? 🤔

Personal data is anything that can identify a person; that includes physical traits, home address, employer info, any photos or videos they uploaded containing personal details, or info tucked away in links, etc...

Hold up… Did he post his own info in some random comment—like, say, saying "I live in Brooklyn" or "I have blond hair"—and now he wants this site to scrub it or he's gonna sue the company running the whole thing? 😲

Man… maybe that’s not a bad move! Back in the day, I signed up for this site using a handle, then switched to my real name in 2007. Now my full name is plastered all over thousands of posts. So, I think I'll just sue Monitor and Reddit, Inc. for $100,000 in damages because they're broadcasting my private info. Shame on them! 🎉

lonetrucker4 said:Honestly, just out of pure curiosity—and I should probably clarify that since I’m a moderator, I don't have any official connection whatsoever to the legal entities behind Monitor or Reddit, Inc.—could someone perhaps help me understand what this guy is actually getting at here?

What kind of personal data are we actually talking about here? I mean, are we referring to his specific username or something else entirely? 🤔

I guess it’s worth mentioning that under the CCPA, any posts made under a specific username on social media platforms or online forums are actually treated as personal data.

I'm not entirely sure what exactly a "sticky thread" entails in this context, but I suppose it makes me wonder which specific pieces of personal information we're talking about here—and more importantly, whose data is it, and where exactly is it being pulled from in the first place? 🤔

I was just thinking that, if we really want to do this right, we should probably look into decoupling the IP addresses, email addresses, usernames, metadata, and even the actual posts within the database. I guess it might be a bit more complex than we initially thought, but maybe breaking everything down like that would be much better for the overall architecture.

I suppose it would be quite wonderful if, instead of just using a standard username, the author could post as an Anonymous User, perhaps even keeping their IP address completely hidden! It might also be lovely if the system didn't require an email address or collect any specific profile data that could be used for things like targeted advertising, though I guess that's a pretty big ask for most platforms these days.

Wait a second... did he actually go and post his own private info himself? Like, I don't know, maybe he wrote something like "I live in Brooklyn" or mentioned he has blonde hair, and now he’s suddenly demanding that Reddit, Inc. delete the post or else he'll sue the company behind this site? 😲

I don't want to oversimplify things here, because I really think we shouldn't trivialize the situation. It isn't just about the specific data points he's shared out in the open; rather, I suppose the real concern lies in the sheer volume of everything else that gets gathered—you know, all those cookies, trackers, system logs, and every other little digital footprint left behind.

Hmm... Well, maybe that isn't such a bad idea after all! I actually signed up for Reddit, Inc. back in the day using a pseudonym first, but then I switched over to my actual legal name around 2007. Now, I find that my full identity is just sitting there, completely exposed, across thousands upon thousands of old posts. So, I guess you could say I am currently in the middle of suing Monitor and Reddit, Inc., seeking about $110,000 in damages because they've been broadcasting my private information everywhere—it’s honestly quite shameful! 🎉

I suppose if you actually go through the trouble of requesting that your data be anonymized and the platform just flat-out refuses to comply, you might actually have some legitimate grounds to take them to court.

I suppose if you just take a quick look at how other forums across the European Union handle their data anonymization, you could probably just copy their solution and call it a day! It seems like such a straightforward way to get everything sorted, don't you think?

Look, everyone has rights, sure. But shouldn't you be pursuing those through official channels—like sending a formal email—rather than just dumping the whole topic on a forum?

Do you happen to have the email address for the CNN moderator who runs the Reddit? If so, awesome! Definitely reach out to them over there.