Zansa › Answers › Privacy, security and ownership
How long should a business keep personal data?
Keep personal data only as long as you need it for the purpose you collected it for, or as long as the law requires you to keep it. There is no single period for everyone, because retention depends on the type of data and the laws that apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
Good practice is to set a written retention schedule that lists each data type, the reason for keeping it, and when it is deleted or anonymised. Tax, employment and sector rules often require specific minimum periods for certain records.
GDPR calls this storage limitation, and POPIA has a similar retention principle. Include backups and copies in spreadsheets when you delete. Rules differ by country and sector, so check how this applies to you with a qualified adviser.
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