A GDPR deletion anonymises the user rather than erasing everything. Their personal details are removed, while their activity and points history is kept so your totals and reports stay accurate. This guide explains exactly what goes and what stays.
Summary
When you process a GDPR deletion for a Moves+ user:
- Their personal details are removed. Name, email address and other identifying fields are cleared or replaced
- Their activity and points history is kept. It stays in the system, attached to an anonymised record
- They can no longer sign in. The account is effectively closed
Removing the activity history would change historical totals and create past report discrepancies. Keeping the data anonymised means the member is no longer identifiable, while your reporting stays accurate.
What is removed
The member's record is overwritten in place. After a deletion, it shows as a generic removed user with no personal details attached.
| Field | After deletion |
|---|---|
| First and last name | Replaced with a generic placeholder (Removed, User) |
| Email address | Replaced with a non-working placeholder address (e.g. <uuid>@example.com) |
| Password | Replaced, so the account cannot be accessed |
| Date of birth, gender, phone number | Cleared |
| Title, description, unique reference | Cleared |
| Ethnicity, disability, country | Cleared |
| Single sign-on link | Cleared |
The following are deleted outright rather than anonymised:
- Profile picture
- Tracker connections and sync records
- Timeline posts
- Monthly leaderboard history
- Badges earned, which are unlinked from the member
- Friendships, group invites and platform invites
- Survey responses
- Devices, notifications and sign-in tokens
Note: Monthly leaderboard history - Unlike activity and points, it is removed rather than anonymised. If you compare a historical leaderboard before and after a deletion, the figures will differ.
What is retained
These are retained and remain reportable, attached to the anonymised record:
- Points adjustments, the full record of points earned, awarded and deducted
- Daily activity totals, the aggregated activity history used by your reports
- Challenge participation and results
- Redeemed rewards
- Partner points
What this means for your reports
Run an activity report covering a period before the deletion and the numbers will not change. The member will appear as a removed user rather than by name, but their activity still counts towards organisation-level totals.
This matters most for year-on-year comparisons and for any figure you have already reported. A GDPR deletion will not retrospectively alter them.
Before you process a deletion
- It cannot be undone. There is no way to restore a member once the deletion has run
- It is one member at a time. There is no bulk GDPR deletion
- The feature is not enabled by default. If you cannot see the option, raise a request with us and we will enable it for your organisation
- Check any outstanding rewards first. A member with a reward they have claimed but not yet collected will not be able to collect it afterwards
Common questions
Does the member disappear from our user list?
No. The record remains, shown as a removed user with no personal details. This is what allows the historical activity to stay attached to something.
Can they sign up again with the same email address?
Yes. The original address is released when the record is anonymised, so the person can register again as a new member. They will start from zero, with no access to their previous points or history.
Does this satisfy a right to erasure request?
Anonymisation is a recognised approach where the remaining data can no longer be linked to an identifiable person. If you have a specific legal position on a request, speak to your own data protection officer, and contact us if you need anything beyond the standard process.
What if the member only wants to stop using Moves+?
A GDPR deletion is not the right tool. Consider deactivating the account instead, which is reversible and keeps their history intact should they return.
How long does it take?
The deletion is scheduled rather than immediate, so allow up to 48 hours for it to complete.