Glossary
Data minimisation
A data protection principle: personal data should be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purposes it is processed for.
By MergeGuard team
Last updated
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office states the principle as personal data that is “adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed” (UK ICO, data protection principles). Its guidance also says to review the data you hold periodically and to delete anything you no longer need.
The ICO is the UK regulator, and its pages do not mention merging customer profiles. Duplicate customer profiles are a second copy of the same person’s details, and a Shopify merge is permanent, so review a group before you merge it. Shopify itself tells merchants to consult a local lawyer who knows data protection law, and this page is not legal advice.
Related
- Duplicate customer profileA duplicate customer profile is a second Shopify profile for the same person. Learn how to spot one, how to tell it from relatives, and what to do next.
- Customer mergeA customer merge combines Shopify profiles into one customer. See what Shopify combines, why it is permanent, and how marketing status carries over.
- History and verificationMergeGuard records every Shopify merge and contact fix: the customers kept and merged away, the details kept, Shopify’s verification and a snapshot of each.