Data breaches at major companies are so now common that they hardly make the news. The Wikipedia page on data breaches lists over 350 between 2004 and 2023. The Equifax breach in 2017 was especially notable because over 160 million records were leaked, and much of the data was acquired by Equifax without individuals’ knowledge or consent. Data breaches are increasingly costly to companies and to affected users who must deal with the ensuing identity theft.

In 2018 the European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Despite its mild name, the GDPR had major consequences for individuals’ rights to control their data, and for companies that operate in the EU. Among other things, it gives the right to have personal data removed from a company’s records. This is the so-called “right to be forgotten”.

Gal Ringel is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mine, which allows users to identify which companies have their data, and it automates the process of removing data on behalf of its users. In this way, Mine aims to reduce online exposure and minimize risk for anyone using online services. Gal joins the show today to talk about his company, the impact of GDPR, and how his experience in military intelligence, venture capital, and tech led him to co-found the company.

Jordi Mon Companys is a product manager and marketer that specializes in software delivery, developer experience, cloud native and open source. He has developed his career at companies like GitLab, Weaveworks, Harness and other platform and devtool providers. His interests range from software supply chain security to open source innovation. You can reach out to him on Twitter at @jordimonpmm

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