Deletion of user account

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Paid Account Deletion as a Product

  • Company sells “deletion of user account” for ~€19.90; some users see higher prices (e.g., £29.90 in UK).
  • Many find the idea shocking or absurd: paying to have your own account/data deleted.
  • Some see it as “monetizing churn” and a strong negative signal about the company’s values.
  • A few suggest it might be a mock or joke product, though others note it has existed for a long time and is still purchasable.

GDPR, Swiss Law, and Right to Erasure

  • Several argue GDPR (or similar Swiss data-protection rules) gives a free right to deletion/erasure.
  • Others point out Switzerland isn’t in the EU, but has aligned data protection laws.
  • There is debate whether GDPR explicitly requires deletion to be free; some cite the possibility of “reasonable fees” in specific cases, others insist account deletion must be free and easy in practice.
  • One view: charging for deletion or hiding a free GDPR-compliant path behind a paid product is itself a GDPR violation.
  • Others question whether any EU authority will meaningfully enforce this, given spotty, slow enforcement.

Jurisdiction & Scope

  • Debate on when non‑EU companies must follow GDPR:
    • One side: anyone targeting EU residents/customers must comply.
    • Another side: only if the company “operates in the EU”; purely foreign sellers may not.
  • It is noted that practical enforcement depends on cross-border legal realities and market pressure.

Alternative Interpretation: Device Unlinking

  • Some speculate the fee is really for unlinking an e‑scooter from an account, especially in second‑hand sales.
  • Theory: fee captures value from transfers and/or deters thieves, since unlinking requires ID and payment.
  • This is clearly labeled as speculation; the site does not explain it well.

Site Behavior, Pricing, and UX Oddities

  • Page sometimes redirects away; cart flows appear partially broken.
  • Archive snapshots show earlier, higher prices (around €29–30).
  • Discounts (e.g., 10% off if you register) are seen as darkly comic.
  • Cookie banner is criticized (no obvious “deny” option).
  • Some note other questionable practices, like broad consent for using personal data given during checkout.

Wider Context & Comparisons

  • Comparisons made to:
    • Services that don’t allow real deletion (e.g., “deactivation” only, or Reddit’s comment behavior).
    • Banks that charge for account closure.
    • Platforms that make exercising GDPR rights intentionally convoluted.
  • Some argue that even if technically better than no deletion at all, charging for it is morally worse.