# Data Retention Policy

**Version:** 1.0
**Effective:** February 2026
**Owner:** Johan Jongsma
**Review:** Annually

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## 1. Purpose

Define how long Dealspace retains client data and the procedures for data deletion.

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## 2. Scope

All data stored in Dealspace systems:
- Projects and deals
- Deal data (requests, responses, documents)
- Participant accounts and access grants
- Access logs
- Authentication tokens

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## 3. Retention Periods

### Deal Data

| Data Type | Retention Period | Rationale |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|
| Active deal data | Per client agreement | Deal lifecycle varies |
| Closed deals | 7 years from close | Regulatory compliance |
| Deleted deals | 30 days (soft delete), then purged | Recovery window |

### System Data

| Data Type | Retention Period | Rationale |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|
| HTTP access logs | 90 days | Security investigation window |
| Audit logs | 7 years | Regulatory compliance |
| Error logs | 90 days | Debugging and monitoring |

### Authentication Data

| Data Type | Retention Period | Rationale |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|
| Access tokens | 1 hour expiry | Security |
| Refresh tokens | 7 days or until revoked | Session management |
| Invite tokens | 72 hours or until used | Security |

### Backup Data

| Data Type | Retention Period | Rationale |
|-----------|------------------|-----------|
| Daily backups | 30 days | Recovery window |

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## 4. Client-Initiated Deletion

### Project Deletion

When a client deletes a project:

**Immediate actions:**
- Mark project as deleted
- Revoke all access grants
- Remove from active listings

**Within 30 days:**
- Soft delete allows recovery
- After 30 days: permanent purge

**Retained for compliance:**
- Audit log entries (7 years, anonymized)

### Individual Entry Deletion

When a user deletes a specific entry:
- Entry soft-deleted immediately
- Removed from backups per rotation schedule (30 days)

### Right to Erasure (GDPR Article 17)

Users may request complete erasure:

1. User submits request via privacy@muskepo.com
2. Identity verified
3. Deletion executed within 30 days
4. Confirmation sent to user
5. Request logged for compliance

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## 5. Automated Retention Enforcement

### Daily Cleanup Jobs

- Remove expired access tokens
- Remove expired refresh tokens
- Remove expired invite tokens
- Process queued deletions past retention window

### Log Rotation

- Rotate logs older than 90 days
- Audit logs retained for 7 years

### Backup Rotation

- Daily backups: 30-day retention

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## 6. Legal Holds

When litigation or investigation requires data preservation:

1. **Identify scope** - Which clients/deals affected
2. **Suspend deletion** - Exclude from automated purges
3. **Document hold** - Record reason, scope, authorizer, date
4. **Release hold** - When legal matter resolved, resume normal retention

**Current legal holds:** None

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## 7. Data Export

Clients may export their data at any time:
- Full export available via platform
- Formats: JSON (structured data), original files
- Export includes all project data and audit logs

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## 8. Backup Data Handling

Deleted data may persist in backups until rotation completes:

| Backup Type | Maximum Persistence After Deletion |
|-------------|-----------------------------------|
| Daily backups | 30 days |

Clients are informed that complete purge from all backups occurs within 30 days of deletion request.

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## 9. Third-Party Data

### Hostkey (Hosting)

- Encrypted data only
- Subject to Dealspace's retention policies
- Physical media destroyed per Hostkey procedures

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## 10. Compliance Mapping

| Regulation | Requirement | Implementation |
|------------|-------------|----------------|
| GDPR Art. 17 | Right to erasure | 30-day deletion on request |
| GDPR Art. 5(1)(e) | Storage limitation | Defined retention periods |
| FADP | Data minimization | Same as GDPR implementation |
| CCPA | Deletion rights | Same as GDPR implementation |

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## 11. Verification

### Monthly Review

- [ ] Verify cleanup jobs running
- [ ] Check for orphaned data
- [ ] Review pending deletion requests
- [ ] Confirm backup rotation operating

### Annual Review

- [ ] Review retention periods for regulatory changes
- [ ] Update policy as needed
- [ ] Verify compliance with stated periods

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*Document end*
