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FAQGLOBALETSI EN 303 645

ETSI EN 303 645 Personal data deletion for consumer IoT products

ETSI EN 303 645 V3.1.3 requires a simple way to erase all from the device and recommends device-initiated deletion of from .

Plan the device and associated-service deletion flows, user instructions, confirmation, and assessment evidence. Assess privacy-law retention and deletion obligations separately.

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Author
Sorena AI
Published
May 9, 2026
Updated
Oct 15, 2026
3 sections5 primary sources
Overview

Provision 5.11-1 requires a simple way to erase all from the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) device. V3.1.3 then recommends a device-based way to delete from , clear instructions, and confirmation covering devices and associated services. A factory reset may be unsuitable when it would erase another user's settings or disrupt a future user.

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3 of 3 questions
Question 1

What does ETSI EN 303 645 require for personal data deletion?

Clause 5.11 separates mandatory device erasure from recommended service deletion. Provision 5.11-1 says users shall have functionality to erase all their from the device in a simple manner. Here, user data means data stored on the device that the user created or that the device generated through user activity, including , configuration, event logs, and cryptographic material such as passwords or keys. It excludes data present before the user's first use.

Provision 5.11-2 says the consumer should have functionality on the device to delete from in a simple manner. Relevant moments include ownership transfer, a personal-data deletion request, removal of a service, and device disposal. "Simple" means minimal steps, each with minimal complexity.

The explanatory text says a consumer who requests complete deletion also expects retrospective deletion of backup copies. Treat backup handling as part of the product's deletion design and evidence, but do not present that explanation as a separate mandatory EN 303 645 provision. Applicable law or another requirement may independently control whether particular records must be deleted or retained.

  • Treat device erasure and associated-service removal as two related but distinct deletion paths.
  • Do not assume a factory reset is enough for every privacy scenario; ETSI gives a shared-use example where resetting the whole device would not be appropriate for deleting one user's .
  • Keep GDPR statements narrow: EN 303 645 says the functionality is expected to comply with applicable data protection law, including GDPR, but the standard itself presents technical baseline provisions rather than a full legal assessment.
Question 2

What should the user experience include?

The standard uses simple, user-facing language. Deletion should require minimal steps and minimal complexity, and users should receive clear instructions on how to delete their .

Provision 5.11-4 recommends clear confirmation that has been deleted and, where possible, erased from devices and . The current edition does not list applications as a separate confirmation target. An app may still be part of the device or an associated service, but the product boundary must establish that.

  • Show the deletion entry point in the relevant device, app, or service interface instead of burying it in support-only processes.
  • Explain whether the action erases device-stored , removes from , deletes an app or account profile, or does more than one of these.
  • Confirm which device and associated-service data the action covered, including any practical consequence such as logout, loss of remote services, or return to factory-default state.
  • Document any data that remains because deletion is not available or because another requirement applies; ETSI EN 303 645 alone does not decide the legal retention question.
Recommended next step

Map ETSI EN 303 645 deletion paths to product evidence

This FAQ helps connect each device, app, and associated-service deletion path to personal-data inventory entries, user instructions, confirmation evidence, and assessment-ready IXIT records.

Assessment workflow
Build the evidence map

Turn device and service deletion paths into accountable controls, user-facing proof, and retained assessment evidence.

Explore next step
Research workflow
Check source fit

Review whether a deletion claim is supported by ETSI EN 303 645, ETSI TS 103 701, or needs separate legal analysis.

Explore next step
Talk to Sorena
Talk through implementation

Review deletion scope, associated services, confirmation evidence, and open privacy-law dependencies with Sorena.

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Question 3

What evidence should teams keep for assessment?

ETSI TS 103 701 maps the deletion provisions to concrete Implementation eXtra Information for Testing (IXIT) entries. For 5.11-1, the required deletion-function evidence includes an ID, description, target type, and initiation and interaction. For 5.11-2, teams also need personal-data evidence that describes the and processing activities, linked to the deletion functionality.

For 5.11-3 and 5.11-4, the evidence extends to user information: documentation of deletion, personal-data and deletion-function entries, and confirmation evidence. The useful evidence packet therefore joins three views: the inventory, the deletion function, and the user-facing documentation or confirmation.

  • Maintain a personal-data inventory that records what is processed, the purpose, authorized parties, lifecycle, and processing activities where those fields apply.
  • Maintain a deletion-function record for each deletion route, including the target type and the exact user interaction that initiates it.
  • Retain screenshots, user documentation, or other visible evidence showing the deletion instructions and the confirmation shown after deletion.
  • Test the result on the device and each associated service, including shared-user behavior, ownership transfer, account removal, service removal, factory reset, disposal, and any stated backup outcome.
  • Reassess the deletion map when a data category, storage location, backup process, account model, associated service, reset flow, retention rule, or product software version changes.
Primary sources

References and citations

ETSI TS 103 701 V2.1.1, deletion evidence mapping
etsi.org2 citations
Referenced sections
  • Assessment source for IXIT evidence fields tied to deletion provisions, including personal-data records, deletion functionality, user information, and confirmation evidence.
  • Assessment methodology and provision-to-IXIT mapping for 5.11-1 through 5.11-4, including IXIT 21-PersData, IXIT 25-DelFunc, IXIT 2-UserInfo, and the external-evidence concept.
"IXIT 25-DelFunc"
More quoted passages
"Provision vs Required IXIT entries"
ETSI EN 303 645 V3.1.3, clause 5.11
etsi.org
Referenced sections
  • Primary ETSI source for consumer IoT user-data erasure, personal-data removal from associated services, deletion instructions, confirmation, and the caution that factory reset is not always the right mechanism.
"Make it easy for users to delete user data"
ETSI EN 303 645 V3.1.3, clauses 5.11 and 6
etsi.org
Referenced sections
  • Current ETSI source for device user-data erasure, associated-service personal-data deletion, instructions, confirmation, and the separate technical data-protection provisions.
"Users shall be provided with functionality such that all their user data can be erased"
ETSI EN 303 645 V3.1.3, provisions 5.11-3 and 5.11-4
etsi.org
Referenced sections
  • Current source for clear deletion instructions and confirmation that personal data has been deleted and, where possible, erased from devices and associated services.
"clear confirmation"
ETSI TS 103 701 V2.1.1, sample IXIT 25-DelFunc
etsi.org
Referenced sections
  • The sample IXIT illustrates deletion-function evidence fields such as description, target type, initiation and interaction, and confirmation for device reset and online-profile removal examples.
"Deletion Functionalities"

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