Glossary · Data protection
Data Retention
The defined periods for which data is kept before it is deleted or anonymized, balancing legal duties against minimization.
Put the term into practice: Data protection management
Data retention is the practice of keeping data only as long as it is needed, then deleting or anonymizing it. Retention periods reflect a balance between legal and contractual obligations to keep certain records and the GDPR principle of storage limitation.
A clear retention schedule, applied consistently, reduces risk and storage cost and demonstrates accountability to regulators.
