GDPR and screenshots in support tickets
A screenshot that shows a customer's name or email is personal data. Under GDPR, sharing it in a ticket, a guide or a chat is processing, and the usual rules apply.
The rules that matter here
Data minimisation. Only process the personal data you need for the purpose (Article 5(1)(c)). A how-to guide rarely needs a real customer in it.
Storage limitation. Keep it no longer than needed. Screenshots in old tickets and wikis tend to live forever.
Processors. Every tool a screenshot lands in, such as your helpdesk, tracker or chat, may be a processor that needs a contract with you (Article 28).
Access requests. If a customer asks for their data, screenshots of their account count. They are hard to find once scattered.
Five habits that help
1. Use demo or test accounts for guides and training.
2. Hide personal data before the screenshot, not after.
3. Don't paste customer screenshots into tools you have no agreement with.
4. Set a retention period for ticket attachments.
5. Review every image before it leaves your team.
Where Pexli fits
Pexli detects emails, phone numbers, names and addresses in labelled form fields and table columns, ID and card numbers, and IP and MAC addresses in your browser and hides them before each screenshot, so the image never contains them. Names in free text aren't detected, so you blur those by hand, and you review every step before sharing. How redaction works.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check with your data protection officer for your case.