ZenovayTools

Data Retention Auditor

Audit the quality of data retention language in your privacy policy. Classifies retention as Specific, Conditional, Vague, or Absent per data category.

How to Use Data Retention Auditor

  1. 1Enter your website URL.
  2. 2The tool fetches your privacy policy and analyzes retention language.
  3. 3Review per-category ratings: Specific, Conditional, Vague, or Absent.
  4. 4Fix vague phrases using the suggested replacements.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What does GDPR say about data retention?▾
GDPR Article 5(1)(e) establishes the "storage limitation" principle: personal data must be kept for no longer than necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. Organizations must define and document specific retention periods for each data category.
What is a data retention schedule?▾
A data retention schedule is a document that specifies how long each category of personal data is kept, the legal basis for retention, and the process for deletion. It is a key GDPR compliance document required under the accountability principle (Art. 5(2)).
Why is "as long as necessary" problematic?▾
Vague phrases like "as long as necessary" or "reasonable period" fail to meet GDPR's storage limitation requirement. Supervisory authorities expect specific, justifiable retention periods (e.g., "3 years after account closure" or "90 days for server logs").
What retention periods are typical?▾
Common retention periods include: account data (until deletion + 30 days), payment records (6-10 years for tax/legal obligations), marketing consent records (3 years after last interaction), server logs (30-90 days), cookies (varies by type, 13 months max recommended by CNIL).
What does CPRA require for retention?▾
The California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) requires businesses to disclose, for each category of personal information, the length of time they intend to retain it, or if that is not possible, the criteria used to determine the retention period.
How does this tool rate retention language?▾
We rate each data category as Specific (exact period stated), Conditional (criteria-based retention), Vague (open-ended language), or Absent (no retention info found). The overall score combines all category ratings into a percentage.