Privacy guide

How to withdraw consent you gave to an app or website.

A practical guide to withdrawing consent in India: where to look, what to say, and why withdrawing should be as easy as giving it under DPDP.

The simple answer

Withdrawing consent means telling a company to stop using your data for a purpose you previously agreed to, such as marketing or optional data sharing. Look in account settings, privacy settings or the grievance contact.

Under DPDP thinking, withdrawing consent should be as easy as giving it. If you cannot find a clear way to withdraw, that itself is a sign worth questioning.

What to check

1
Look for consent or privacy settings in your account.

If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.

2
Use marketing opt-out and unsubscribe options.

If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.

3
Send a written withdrawal to the grievance contact if needed.

If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.

4
Keep proof of your withdrawal.

If this is unclear, treat it as a signal to ask the company for a plain-English explanation.

From our investigation

Yes should be as easy to undo as to give.

State of Privacy highlights consent design because many flows make saying yes easy and saying no hard. Withdrawal is where that imbalance becomes obvious.

What to do next

1
Withdraw through settings where possible.

Keep it practical: take one action, save proof, and avoid giving more data than the task needs.

2
Send a clear written request if there is no setting.

Keep it practical: take one action, save proof, and avoid giving more data than the task needs.

3
Keep proof and follow up if data use continues.

Keep it practical: take one action, save proof, and avoid giving more data than the task needs.

People also ask

Can I withdraw consent after giving it?

Yes. You can ask a company to stop using your data for a purpose you agreed to earlier.

What happens after I withdraw?

The company should stop the relevant processing, though some data may be kept for legal reasons it should explain.

What if there is no withdraw option?

Send a written request to the grievance contact, keep proof and treat the missing option as a concern.

If you are a company
Check your own website.

How many trackers run on your pages? Does your privacy policy name them? Can you answer a data-rights email? If you don't know, we can help you find out.

Talk to Meridian Bridge Strategy →
Your right under Indian law
Mera data mera hai.

Your personal data belongs to you. Under DPDP, every company must tell you what they have and delete it if you ask. One email is all it takes.

Get the template email →
Read the full investigation.

We investigated 107 Indian company websites. The public report shows what we found.

Read the reportTry the experience