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Retention Schedule

What is Retention Schedule?

A documented timetable specifying how long different categories of personal data should be retained before secure disposal or anonymization.

Privacy and Data Protection

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as retention schedule. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on retention schedule

Requirements naming retention schedule across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

ISO 27701:20193 controls

The organization must not retain personal data longer than the purposes for which it is processed require, developing and maintaining retention schedules that take account of legal, regulatory and business requirements and, where those requirements conflict, t...

iso-27701-2019::7.4.7 · Retention
Canadian PIPEDA2 controls

Schedule 1, 4.5.3: information no longer required must be destroyed, erased or made anonymous; guidelines and procedures governing destruction are required.

PIPEDA-4.5.3 · Secure Destruction and Retention

Develop a publicly available written policy establishing a retention schedule and destruction guidelines for biometric identifiers and information, in line with Section 15(a).

BIPA-SEC15A-POLICY · Written Retention and Destruction Policy

Although the PPL does not impose a single retention period, the use-limitation principle (s.2 and s.8(b)) requires that information be kept only as long as necessary for the registered purpose.

PPL-DSR-RETAIN · Data Retention and Disposal

Data retention, archiving and purging are managed in accordance with a defined retention schedule for sensitive data.

CDMC-KC11 · Data Retention, Archiving and Purging

Questions people ask about retention schedule

What is Retention Schedule?
A documented timetable specifying how long different categories of personal data should be retained before secure disposal or anonymization.
Why is Retention Schedule important for compliance?
Retention Schedule is a key concept in Privacy and Data Protection. Understanding retention schedule helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Retention Schedule?
Retention Schedule appears in the requirement text of Jamaica Data Protection Act 2020, ISO 27701:2019, Canadian PIPEDA, Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), Israel Protection of Privacy Law (5741-1981). Across these standards we have identified 11 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Retention Schedule?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how retention schedule applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Retention Schedule applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.