News / Voi
Voi may keep personal data if Bristol users delete their account
Bristol’s current e-scooter company, Voi said it can’t rule out that some personal data will not be kept if Bristol users choose to delete their account.
The city-wide scheme will be taken over by a new Berlin-based company called TIER, which will introduce a new fleet of green e-scooters, under the brand name WESTscoot, from autumn.
As well as 4,000 e-scooters available for hire, there will be 1,500 pedal-only e-bikes (WESTbike) and 20 e-cargo bikes (WESTcargo).
is needed now More than ever
However its not clear what will happen to users personal data if they choose to delete their account.
One user, who deleted the Voi app over a year ago, told Bristol24/7 they had asked the company to delete their details, including a scanned photo of their driving licence.
A spokesperson told them Voi’s policy was to hold information indefinitely, even if users delete the app.
Since then, Voi insists it has deleted their information, but the company’s privacy policy is ambiguous in this area.
Many companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook hold users’ personal information even after they delete their account.
Although not uncommon, it can throw up a number of ethical concerns, and if not held securely, can lead to data breaches.
A Voi spokesperson told Bristol24/7 the company would continue to store a user’s personal data for 90 days after they delete their account.
After this, the data would either be deleted or anonymised, but some users could still see their data being kept by the company after this.
“Voi operates e-scooters and e-bikes in other towns and cities across the UK and Europe, including Cheltenham and Gloucester, which can be accessed using the same Voi app used to unlock scooters in Bristol and Bath,” a spokesperson said.
“If a user decides to delete their account, we will store a copy of their personal data for 90 days in accordance with our user agreement and privacy policy.
“After this 90 day period, we then delete personal data or anonymise it where possible.
“There may be some information, such as data used to raise insurance claims or to assist with police investigations which may be held for longer on a case-by-case basis.
“For insights into how Voi handles data and to initiate a specific request for the removal of your personal data, please visit privacy.voi.com”
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- No more Vois in Bristol as contract ends
- ‘Voi’s empire is no more and I can’t help but feel nostalgic’
- New e-scooter provider warned of strict fines over parking issues
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