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swap0's avatar
swap0
New member | Level 2
3 months ago

My Dropbox account was deleted by a business partner. How can I restore it?

FORMAL COMPLAINT: Unauthorized Transfer of Personal Account to Company Control To: Dropbox Support Team / Data Protection Officer Subject: URGENT - Unauthorized Transfer of Personal Account and Da...
account access
dropbox business
File access
security
Team admin
swap0's avatar
swap0
New member | Level 2
3 months ago

Hi Mark 

Making multiple requests is my desperation of getting my personal data back....

secondly dropbox logic defies any rationale on company admin being owner of personal account and data . 

Here is my scenario:

  • You have a personal Dropbox account with your own files
  • Your company invites you to join their Dropbox Business account
  • When you join, Dropbox promises to keep your personal files separate from company files

What Dropbox Claims:

  • Your personal data stays yours
  • Company admins can't access your personal files
  • Everything is kept separate and secure

The Problem (The "Absurdity"): Despite Dropbox saying your personal files are protected and separate, there's apparently something in their terms or policies that suggests the company admin actually has some form of ownership or control over your personal data once you join their business account.

Why This Seems Contradictory:

  1. Dropbox says "your personal stuff stays private"
  2. But also says "the company admin has ownership rights"
  3. These two things don't make sense together

The Core Issue: If your personal data truly remains separate and private (as Dropbox claims), then logically the company shouldn't have any ownership rights over it. But if the company admin does have ownership rights, then your data isn't really as separate and protected as promised.

This creates a logical contradiction - your data can't simultaneously be "completely separate and private" AND "owned by the company admin." It's one or the other, but Dropbox seems to be claiming both things are true.

 

  • Mark's avatar
    Mark
    Icon for Super User II rankSuper User II
    3 months ago
    swap0 wrote:

    Your personal data stays yours
    Company admins can't access your personal files
    Everything is kept separate and secure

    That is correct. If you keep a personal account separate and set up a new account to join the Team (as I mentioned, it tries to force you to do), 

    When you join a team and on the onboarding you are asked to either join with the email you have been sent to do it or a set up a new account. If you set up a new account the email on the account is changed so the new account keeps the data you have while the one with the email that was invited to the Team becomes part of the Business Team but with an empty account. 

    So, its all down to that onboarding and what you do with it. Unfortuantely if you dont read what its saying when you do this its easy to miss this part (and lets be honest, most of us are click happy through screens like this - I certainly am). 

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