Your data
How to request deletion of your data
You can ask us to delete personal data we hold about you at any time. This page explains how to ask, what we can remove, and what it means for any certificates involved.
How to make a request
Email support@open-cpd.com from the address associated with your Open CPD account or certificate, with "Data deletion request" in the subject line.
Tell us who you are and what you would like removed. If you are a learner, the certificate reference or verification ID helps us find the right record quickly. If you hold a provider account, say whether you want the whole account closed or specific data removed.
You do not need to give a reason. We may need to confirm your identity before acting, which is a requirement rather than an obstacle: it stops somebody else deleting your records.
What applies to you
Open CPD holds two quite different kinds of data, and what happens next depends on which one you are asking about.
If a training provider issued you a certificate, they are the organisation that decided to certify your learning, and they hold the relationship with you. We can act on your request, and in most cases we will also need to tell the issuing provider, because the record belongs to their course. If you know who issued the certificate, contacting them as well usually makes this faster.
If you hold an Open CPD account, you can ask for the account and its associated data to be closed and removed. Certificates you have already issued to other people are a separate question, because those records belong to your learners as much as to you, and we will talk that through with you before anything is removed.
If you have only ever contacted us, downloaded a guide or subscribed to the newsletter, there is no account involved and we can remove your details straightforwardly. Every marketing email also carries an unsubscribe link, which stops the messages immediately without needing a request.
Checking a certificate through the verification page does not require an account and does not create a record of you. There is nothing to delete from that.
What deletion means for a certificate
A verifiable certificate works because the record behind it stays available for someone to check. Removing that record means the certificate stops verifying, and anyone the learner has already sent it to will see it as no longer resolvable.
That is sometimes exactly what is wanted, and it is your decision to make. We mention it because it is the one consequence people are surprised by afterwards, and it is worth knowing before rather than after. If the aim is narrower, for example removing a certificate from public view rather than destroying the record, say so and we will look at what fits.
How long it takes
We aim to deal with requests promptly, and under UK data protection law we respond within one month of receiving a request. If a request is complex we may need longer, and we will tell you if that happens rather than leaving you waiting.
Some information may be kept where the law requires it, for example records needed for accounting or tax purposes. Where that applies we will tell you what has been retained and why.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your request, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk.
The full detail of what we collect and why is in the privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I request deletion of my Open CPD data?
- Email support@open-cpd.com from the address linked to your account or certificate, with Data deletion request in the subject line, saying what you would like removed. No reason is needed, though we may confirm your identity first.
- Will deleting my data invalidate certificates I have been issued?
- Removing the underlying record means the certificate will no longer verify, so anyone you have already shared it with will find the link no longer resolves. If you want something narrower than that, say so and we will look at what fits.
- Can a training provider delete a learner's certificate?
- A provider can ask us to remove certificates they issued, but because those records matter to the learners who hold them, we discuss it before acting rather than processing it silently.
- How long does a deletion request take?
- We respond within one month, as UK data protection law requires, and usually sooner. If a request is complex enough to need longer, we will tell you rather than leave you waiting.
- Do I need an account to check a certificate?
- No. Verification requires no login and creates no record of the person doing the checking, so there is nothing about a verification lookup that could be deleted.
Send your request
Email support@open-cpd.com with Data deletion request in the subject line, and we will take it from there.