Azure-docs: Delete user data from Computer Vision API

[alexmpmenezes]

Hi,

According to Microsoft Cognitive Services Privacy statement, Computer Vision is one of the services that store user data but should give control to the user. I haven't found in the documentation how to delete data once it's processed. I was mainly looking into the OCR API.

Privacy statement: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/support/legal/cognitive-services-compliance-and-privacy/

Thanks,
Alex

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Document Details

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• ID: f12a77c5-fc42-c179-5af7-6c7b2197de28
• Version Independent ID: 2db8d484-530e-d507-2842-c196a5e55c9a
• Content: What is the Computer Vision API? - Computer Vision - Azure Cognitive Services
• Content Source: articles/cognitive-services/Computer-vision/Home.md
• Service: cognitive-services
• Sub-service: computer-vision
• GitHub Login: @PatrickFarley
• Microsoft Alias: pafarley

[YutongTie-MSFT]

@alexmpmenezes
Thanks for the feedback! We are currently investigating and will update you shortly.

[YutongTie-MSFT]

@alexmpmenezes Hi, does delete the resource group work for your scenario at this time?

@PatrickFarley Hi Patrick, could we have a document like : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/custom-vision-service/export-delete-data to tell customer how to delete their data when they want to stop? Thank you.

[alexmpmenezes]

@YutongTie-MSFT Does deleting the resource group would also delete all the customer data used in the Computer Vision API? And if yes, do we have a Doc confirming it? :)

Thanks!

[YutongTie-MSFT]

@alexmpmenezes Hi Alex, thank you for the response. I am checking internally for any official doc.

[YutongTie-MSFT]

@alexmpmenezes Hi Alex, this is not a sentence that "When you deleted your resource group, Microsoft will delete all the data". But I have found two approvals for you:

1. Where is your data? https://azuredatacentermap.azurewebsites.net/ Your data is stored in the region you selected when you created your service, Microsoft will not copy your data for other uses.
2. The term of Service. https://www.microsoftvolumelicensing.com/DocumentSearch.aspx?Mode=3&DocumentTypeId=31
   You can see the latest term of Microsoft in the term document, it should cover everything you want ^^

Thank you. Please let me know if you have more question. And I will close this issue now.
We will now proceed to close this thread. If there are further questions regarding this matter, please respond here and @YutongTie-MSFT and we will gladly continue the discussion.

[alexmpmenezes]

Hi @YutongTie-MSFT . Why can't we have a docs like: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/custom-vision-service/export-delete-data ?

While your answer of deleting the resource/resource group might be legally valid, we can't expect Microsoft Customers and Partners to delete the entire resource if they only need to delete one or two data sets due a GDPR request.

[YutongTie-MSFT]

@alexmpmenezes I really agree with you for the feedback. So I cc'ed the doc author to update the document in my first post. I will track this post for more update. Thank you for the feedback very much.

@PatrickFarley Hi Patrick, could you please check this issue? Could we have a document like : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/custom-vision-service/export-delete-data to tell customer how to delete their data when they want to stop? The customer here provide a really good scenario and need document approval. Thank you.

[PatrickFarley]

I'm not sure what data the service retains or whether there's a way to delete it selectively. @tburns10 , do you know the answer?

[tburns10]

Some of the OCR operations are asynchronous and thus store data temporarily while it is being processed. All data is deleted at a max of 48 hrs, we do not expose controls to the user for deleting. I do not think we should have a similar document as custom vision given we are only keeping the data during processing.

[alexmpmenezes]

Hi @tburns10. Thanks for the clarification. Would be possible to have this statement (data retention time) in our official Docs so all customers can refer to?
Currently the Computer Vision Data Privacy statement is quite generic.
And If the data is only temporarily stored it is understandable that we don't offer any deletion option.
Thanks!

[dschenzer]

Some of the OCR operations are asynchronous and thus store data temporarily while it is being processed. All data is deleted at a max of 48 hrs, we do not expose controls to the user for deleting. I do not think we should have a similar document as custom vision given we are only keeping the data during processing.

I think so too, that it would be very valuable for our clients that they dont need to worry about the data persistance, because there are policies on place ensuring data is deleted at the latest of 48h.

If we could get that statement into our docs thats would be highly appricated.

[GiantCrocodile]

I request the same here. This is a must have information which has to be properly documented in the docs. It is necessary to know for any project with data of clients, e. g. for GDPR reasons.

[dschenzer]

I request the same here. This is a must have information which has to be properly documented in the docs. It is necessary to know for any project with data of clients, e. g. for GDPR reasons.

@PatrickFarley can we reopen the issue?

[YutongTie-MSFT]

I have reopened this issue.

@PatrickFarley Hi Patrick, could you please add more details about how Computer Vision API manages user's data according to GDPR? Thanks.

[DaehyunLee]

Found this thread really useful, but seems to be closed and can't find any update on the documents.
Would be great if someone can post if there had been any updates.
Thank you!

[PatrickFarley]

@YutongTie-MSFT , please reopen this issue. It appears it didn't work last time

[tchristiani]

This issue has been assigned to our backlog for correction/update.

please-close

[GiantCrocodile]

So this issue has been postponed and won't be fixed in short term @tchristiani?

[tchristiani]

Our sprints run in monthly increments. It has been added to the next sprint.

[GiantCrocodile]

Thank you for clarification!