What Happens If You Ignore a DSAR?
A brief overview of the regulatory, legal, and reputational consequences businesses face when they fail to respond to data subject access requests.
Last updated: 2026-02-07
Ignoring a DSAR Is Not a Cost-Free Decision
For businesses weighing compliance priorities, it can be tempting to deprioritize data subject access requests -- especially when resources are stretched thin. But failing to respond to a DSAR within the statutory deadline carries real consequences across multiple dimensions.
Regulatory enforcement. Privacy regulators have the authority to impose significant fines for non-compliance. Under the GDPR, the ICO and EU supervisory authorities can issue penalties up to 20 million euros or 4% of global annual turnover. Under the CCPA, the California Privacy Protection Agency can impose fines of $2,500 per violation or $7,500 for intentional violations. Every ignored request is a separate violation.
Complaints and investigations. When a requester does not receive a response, the most common next step is filing a complaint with the relevant regulator. Complaints trigger investigations, and investigations consume far more time and money than simply responding to the original request would have.
Litigation risk. Data subjects can bring private claims for distress and damages resulting from a failure to comply with their access rights. In employment contexts, an unanswered DSAR frequently becomes evidence in broader legal disputes.
Reputational exposure. Regulatory enforcement actions are public record. For businesses that depend on client trust, a published finding of non-compliance can be more damaging than the fine itself.
The governance takeaway: responding to DSARs is not optional, and the cost of ignoring them almost always exceeds the cost of compliance.
For the full picture — covering specific enforcement examples, penalty calculations, and how to prioritize when you are under-resourced — visit boringdsar.com.
Do not wait for a complaint to get your process in order. Download the DSAR Compliance Guide for a structured approach to handling requests on time, every time.