Keep information only as long as needed
A company might keep invoices for a legally required period, then delete them. It might delete old account details sooner while keeping anonymous totals for reports.
Keeping data too long raises costs and privacy risks. Deleting it too soon can disrupt support, accounting, or recovery.
Plan for every copy
Data may remain in backups after deletion from an app. A retention policy should cover reports, exports, logs, and backups, with clear rules for when each copy expires. The right period depends on its purpose and any legal or contract requirements.