Definition
Data Retention Policy
The rules a service follows for how long it keeps your data after you stop using it or explicitly ask for deletion.
A data retention policy states what a company keeps, for how long, and why — sometimes voluntarily, sometimes because regulation requires records for a fixed period. Deleting an account and deleting the underlying data are not always the same action in practice.
Why it matters: data you assume is gone may persist in backups or logs for months or years. Reading the retention policy before you commit to a service tells you what leaving will actually erase.
Related terms
Data Portability · Right to Be Forgotten · Data Minimization