Steam · Steam Privacy Policy

User Rights and Data Deletion

Medium severity
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What it is

Steam processes your data under four legal bases which also determine how long your data is kept, who can access it, and what rights you have to control it. The policy references a separate section 6 for full details on user rights including access, deletion, and portability.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Steam's data retention and your deletion rights are tied to the legal basis for each processing activity, meaning some of your personal data may be retained indefinitely for legal compliance or legitimate business purposes even after you request deletion.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Go to https://help.steampowered.com/ and submit a support ticket requesting deletion of your personal data. EU/UK users can invoke their GDPR Art. 17 right to erasure; California residents can invoke their CCPA right to delete under §1798.105.
  • Export Your Data
    Submit a data access request at https://help.steampowered.com/ to receive a copy of all personal data Steam holds about you, including account data, game statistics, and transaction history.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle User Rights and Data Deletion and similar clauses.

Compare across platforms →
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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Your ability to delete your data, access it, or port it to another service depends on which legal basis Steam invokes for each type of processing — and if Steam relies on 'legitimate interests' or 'legal obligation,' your deletion or objection rights may be limited.

View original clause language
These reasons for collecting and processing Personal Data determine and limit what Personal Data we collect and how we use it (section 3. below), how long we store it (section 4. below), who has access to it (section 5. below) and what rights and other control mechanisms are available to you as a user (section 6. below).

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: GDPR Arts. 15-22 establish the full suite of data subject rights: access (Art. 15), rectification (Art. 16), erasure/right to be forgotten (Art. 17), restriction (Art. 18), portability (Art. 20), objection (Art. 21), and rights related to automated decision-making (Art. 22). CCPA §§1798.100–1798.125 provide parallel rights for California residents including the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out. Valve must respond to GDPR requests within 30 days (extendable to 3 months) and CCPA requests within 45 days (extendable to 90 days).

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority over failures to honor consumer data rights requests under the FTC Act Section 5 and applicable privacy framework commitments.
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    California residents can file complaints with the CPPA regarding Valve's failure to honor CCPA rights requests within the required 45-day timeframe.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Steam Privacy Policy
Entity
Steam
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 18, 2026
Last verified
April 18, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002934
Document ID
CA-D-00182
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
63210b28892392d9dae07097221e6ab8458f850d4edd68ce4be0bc540f120bb5
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Steam | Document: Steam Privacy Policy | Record: CA-P-002934
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:57:26 UTC | SHA-256: 63210b28892392d9…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/steam/steam-privacy-policy/user-rights-and-data-deletion/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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