WARNING - Do NOT use freenom.com

A while back I used Freenom (A domain registrar where you can get domains for a limited time, free) I tried to get domains using it and it didn’t work. I decided give up.

A while later I emailed them asking for my information to be deleted under the GDPR (Right to be forgotten), I got no response. I tried again, no response. Another email… no response. Yet another email… no response, at this point I had sent multiple emails from different email addresses and, got no response.

A company has 3 calendar months to respond to a request, I sent my first email in February 2022. Freenom is also based in the Netherlands, which is subject to the GDPR.

I have now submitted a formal complaint to my Data Protection Authority, I will receive a response from them within 3 months. This can have multiple outcomes;

  1. They can do nothing and use my complaint as a record of non-compliance from Freenom (I will most likely appeal this)
  2. They can make recommendations to Freenom on what to do.
  3. They will usually ask the organisation to do everything they can to explain how they have handled or processed your personal data as the law expects.
  4. Where they have significant concerns about an organisations ability to comply with the law, they can take regulatory action.

In summary, avoid Freenom all-together as, at the moment, they do not comply with the GDPR.

Note: Their Privacy Policy is also very hard to find.

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