Function and purpose
The privacy component was introduced in Joomla 3.9 to help site owners comply with privacy regulations such as GDPR. Users can request a summary of the data stored about them or ask for it to be deleted. Joomla identifies requests by e‑mail address and sends confirmation emails before generating the report.
Use cases
- Data export: Creates a report containing all personal data stored by Joomla and its extensions.
- Deletion requests: Allows users to request erasure of their data when no legal retention obligations apply.
- Logging: Records all requests and actions in the privacy dashboard.
Important notes
- Email configuration: The component only works if your Joomla installation can send emails, as requests must be confirmed by email.
- Legal compliance: Check whether you must retain data for legal reasons before carrying out deletion requests.
- Integration: Extensions need to provide plugins so their data is included in the export.
