When I sent my DA-letter I demanded that my data have to be deleted. I got a reply that the "Religious Community of JW in Germany" (like the CCJW this is different from the Watchtower) keeps data on me like other churches, too.
Well, in Germany we have a governmental Data Protection Office in each land. So, I contacted the Data Protection Office of Berlin (where the CCJW is registered, the WTS is in Hessen, another land of Germany).
After some weeks, I got a reply: they had met with some JW officials and the JW admitted having a database with data of former members. These contain Name, Congregation and date of announcement. As a reason they stated that a high number of former JW return to the JW or contact them under special circumstances of life for help(!). They said they do not give these data to third parties and do not use it for advertisement purposes.
The JW agreed with the office that they now keep these data "locked" which means they may only use them when the person contacts them for reinstatement or other services. And they have to define a time in their byelaws after which data have to be deleted.
The reply said "After longer discussions the JW now plan to...".
I think they are not happy about data protections laws. :-)
JW in Germany have to change their byelaws on data keeping
by GermanXJW 8 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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GermanXJW
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czarofmischief
Score one for Germany!
A minor victory, it may seem, but I guarantee you those power-crazed madmen at Bethel have already heard about it and their lawyers are trying to formulate a comeback.
Congratulations, anyway. ANY victory is a good one!
CZAR
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Pole
When I DA myself (could be any time now really), I'll demand they delete my personal records too. In Poland you can't keep people's personal information without their explicit permission. I've never given them any permission.
Pole -
Poztate
I guarantee you those power-crazed madmen at Bethel have already heard about it and their lawyers are trying to formulate a comeback.
The easiest answer for them is to store your records in another country that does not have laws to protect your privacy. Poland and Germany could just send the files to New York to keep.
When officials ask them are YOU keeping any records they can
honestlyanswer...NOI do not trust them to ever destroy records no matter what they tell officials.
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IP_SEC
I've never given them any permission.
On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?
Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah?s Witnesses in association with God?s spirit-directed organization with no rights reserved?
Future rewording of the dedication/baptism vows?
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Pole
LOL. Darn it, IP_SEC. I knew the WTS laywers must have dabbled with the baptism questions.
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Neo
Philip Brumley,
Excellent suggestion for future baptismal New Light!
On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?
Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah?s Witnesses in association with God?s spirit-directed organization with no rights reserved?
IP_SEC:
Neo
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Neo
BTW, Brumley is the head of WT legal.
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GermanXJW
The thing is, in the past JW were very reluctant to found an official association in which the rank and files were members. Only 1000 JW are members of the WTS and seven elders are official members of the local congregation.
Then in 1999, during their tries to become a registered corporation (with all the tax priviledges) they suddenly founded the "Religious Community of JW in Germany" in which everyone ever baptized is ought to be a member. BUT noone ever had to agree to be member of this new registered corporation. They claim to have 210,000 members - while 160,000 are filling in service reports...