--- title: "OpenLink Software and the GDPR" description: "What OpenLink Software stores when you register, what we never do with it — no card data, no sharing, no brokering — and how to control access, deactivate, or have your data removed." url: urn:osdi:this dateModified: 2026-09-28T04:49:52Z language: en --- Corporate # OpenLink Software and the GDPR You should control your own personal data — including the data we hold. As a passionate supporter of the EU’s [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](http://dbpedia.org/resource/General_Data_Protection_Regulation) and related initiatives to give users control over personally identifiable data, here is a plain breakdown of what happens to the data captured through OpenLink Software registration forms, and how you can take control of it. [Request data removal](https://www.openlinksw.com/contact/?dept=GDPR%20-%20Data%20Protection&subject=Account%20Deletion%20Request&content=To%20whom%20it%20may%20concern:%20I%20hereby%20request%20removal%20of%20my%20personal%20profile%20data,%20associated%20with%20%7Bemail-address%7D,%20from%20your%20systems.) [Email gdpr@openlinksw.com](mailto:gdpr@openlinksw.com) ## Registration & profile management technology [OpenLink Data Spaces (ODS)](http://ods.openlinksw.com/owiki/wiki/ODS) is the platform behind our user registration and profile management services. It loosely couples identification, identity claims verification (authentication), and resource access control (authorization). Every registered user can authenticate identity credentials at login or registration using a choice of protocols: WebID-TLS — PKI enhanced using hyperlinks OpenID Connect OAuth OpenLink Data Spaces architecture OpenLink Data Spaces architecture. User login and registration page, showing loosely-coupled identity and its associated authentication protocols Login and registration — loosely-coupled identity and its associated authentication protocols. ## Registration & profile management activity However you register, we create a user-profile-associated account that is **not publicly available** unless you expressly opt in to profile publication. These are the main entry points to the profile data our systems hold for you: - [My.OpenLinkSW.com](https://my.openlinksw.com/ods) — the main registration and identity services provider - [Online shopping service](https://shop.openlinksw.com/profile.vsp) — an alternate interface to the main registration server - [Free evaluation license generator](https://shop.openlinksw.com/license_generator/virtuoso-download/) — for both the Virtuoso and Universal Data Access Drivers product families - [Checking or opening a support case](http://support.openlinksw.com/support/reviewcases.vsp) - [ID.MyOpenLink.net](http://id.myopenlink.net/ods/) — an experimental beta site offering Personal Data Spaces The only mandatory piece of personally identifiable information we store is your **email address**, by default, for communication purposes. Email subscription lists for periodic notifications are also opt-in, in line with GDPR. ## What we never do ### Store your card details We never store credit card information. All interaction with payment service providers takes place over encrypted communications. ### Share or broker your data We do not exchange user data collated by our systems with business partners, and we do not broker your data for sale through any personal-profile data exchange. ## Controlling access to your profile data As an open standards and Self-Sovereign Identity advocate, you have full control over access to any profile information held in our systems — or in any other identity provider loosely coupled with our services, applications, and browser extensions. Profile management via the online shop, showing the personal details tab Profile management via the online shop — personal details. Profile management showing connected identities associated with other accounts Connected identities associated with other accounts. Profile management showing digital identity cards, X.509 certificates bearing identity claims Digital identity cards — X.509 certificates bearing identity claims. ### Controlling access over parts of your profile data Interface for controlling access to specific parts of your profile data Controlling access to specific parts of your profile data. ### Basic role-based access controls Access controls interface for basic role-based access controls The access-controls interface for basic role-based access control. ### Attribute-based access controls (ABAC) Advanced access controls using a selection of pre-configured attribute-based access controls Advanced access controls — a selection of pre-configured attribute-based access controls. ### ABAC driven by a SPARQL query template The most sophisticated option for controlling access to your profile data: Advanced attribute-based access controls driven by a SPARQL query template Attribute-based access control driven by a SPARQL query template. ## Account deactivation An account can be deactivated in a few clicks. 1. Log in to your existing account on [My.OpenLinkSW.com](https://my.openlinksw.com/ods) or [ID.MyOpenLink.net](http://id.myopenlink.net/ods/). 2. Click the **edit** link at upper left, alongside the **Profile** link. 3. Go to the **Personal → Main** tab. 4. Click **Deactivate** at the top of the data form. Be certain first — **there is no confirmation dialog.** Alternative profile management view showing the account deactivation button Profile management view showing the account deactivation button. ## Data removal To have your personally identifiable data removed from our systems, contact us with the subject **“Account Deletion Request”** and this text in the body: To whom it may concern: I hereby request removal of my personal profile data, associated with {email-address}, from your systems. [Open a pre-filled request in our web contact form](https://www.openlinksw.com/contact/?dept=GDPR%20-%20Data%20Protection&subject=Account%20Deletion%20Request&content=To%20whom%20it%20may%20concern:%20I%20hereby%20request%20removal%20of%20my%20personal%20profile%20data,%20associated%20with%20%7Bemail-address%7D,%20from%20your%20systems.) — you need only replace the **{email-address}** placeholder with the address associated with your ODS account. It can also be sent by email to [gdpr@openlinksw.com](mailto:gdpr@openlinksw.com) from your regular mail client. ## Cookies and similar technologies This site uses as few as it can. The strictly necessary ones are always on; **analytics cookies stay off until you accept them** in the cookie banner, and you can change your choice at any time with [Cookie Settings](#cookie-settings), which is also in the footer of every page. | Name | What it is for | Type | Kept for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `ols_consent` | Remembers your cookie choice and when you made it. | Strictly necessary; this site | 6 months | | `sid` | Keeps you signed in after you log in to your OpenLink account (OpenLink Data Spaces). It is set only if you sign in. | Strictly necessary; openlinksw.com | While you are signed in | | `ols-theme` (browser storage) | Remembers your light or dark theme choice. | Strictly necessary preference; this site | Until you clear your browser data | | `offerBannerHidden:…` (browser storage) | Remembers that you dismissed an offer notice, so it stays dismissed. | Strictly necessary preference; this site | Until you clear your browser data | | `_ga` and `_ga_` followed by an ID | Google Analytics: counts visits and shows us which pages are read, so we can improve them. **Set only after you accept analytics.** | Analytics; Google LLC, on this site's domain | Up to 2 years | ### Content from other providers To show its pages, this site loads software libraries and fonts from content delivery networks (jsDelivr, cdnjs, the jQuery CDN and Google Fonts). When your browser fetches them, those providers receive your IP address and the usual details of a web request. They do not set cookies through this site. ### Your choices You can accept or reject analytics when the banner first appears, and change your mind at any time with [Cookie Settings](#cookie-settings). Withdrawing consent stops analytics and deletes its cookies; it does not affect anything done before. If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, analytics stays off and the banner is not shown. For your other rights over your data, see *Data removal* above or contact us. ## Related reading - [General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](http://data.openlinksw.com/oplweb/glossary-term/GDPR#this) — OpenLink glossary entry - [Verifiable Identity Controlled by You](https://medium.com/openlink-software-blog/verifiable-identity-controlled-by-you-at-web-scale-3d66399cb114) — identity that scales to the Web and Internet - [Web, Logic, Sentences, and the Magic of Being You](https://medium.com/virtuoso-blog/web-logic-sentences-and-the-magic-of-being-you-e2a719d01f73) ## Questions about your data? Our data protection contact will help with access, correction, or removal requests. [Email gdpr@openlinksw.com](mailto:gdpr@openlinksw.com) [Contact Us](urn:osdi:sitecontact/)