# Request: automate customer erasure requests

From: Ottilie Brandt, Privacy Lead, Marrowfield Market
To: Engineering
Date: 28 Sep 2026

## Problem
When a customer asks us to erase their data, a support agent logs it in a spreadsheet and
raises a ticket with each system team. Each team deletes by hand and replies. Requests get
stuck when one team is slow or a ticket is missed.

Q3 2026 (July to September):
- 412 erasure requests received
- 38 completed after the deadline
- longest took 71 days
- two complaints to the regulator so far in 2026, both about late erasure

## What I need
- Once support has verified the customer's identity and logged the request, erasure runs
  automatically.
- All of the customer's data is removed from all 6 systems, including backups, within
  30 days of the verified request.
- An audit record per request showing what was erased, where and when.
- Support can see the status of a request without chasing teams.
- In production by 15 Jan 2027, which is the date of the internal audit follow-up.

## Not part of this
Seller (business) accounts. Those are handled by the contracts team under the seller agreement.

## Also
Please include the expected saving in support hours. I need it for the budget case.