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Data Retention and Deletion Policy

Effective date: 15 September 2026

Last updated: 24 October 2026

1. Overview

This policy governs how EverDrive retains and deletes customer data in accordance with our commitment to data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance. It applies to all archived content, account data, and metadata stored within the EverDrive platform.

2. Retention Framework

Data retention in EverDrive is governed by a multi-layered framework:

  • Default Retention: Archived content is retained indefinitely unless a specific retention policy is configured
  • Configured Policies: Tenants may configure retention schedules based on content classification, date ranges, or custom criteria
  • Legal Holds: When a legal hold is placed, retention is extended regardless of configured policies
  • Regulatory Requirements: Retention periods may be extended to comply with applicable laws and regulations

3. Retention Policy Types

3.1 Time-Based Retention

Content is retained for a specified period from the date of archival:

  • Fixed duration (e.g., 7 years, 10 years)
  • Rolling window (e.g., retain last 7 years of content)
  • Fixed end date (retain until a specific calendar date)

3.2 Event-Based Retention

Content retention is triggered or extended by specific events:

  • Account closure or termination
  • Tenant deletion
  • Regulatory investigation completion
  • Legal hold release

3.3 Classification-Based Retention

Different retention periods may apply based on content classification:

  • Business records (e.g., contracts, financial documents)
  • Communications (e.g., email, instant messages)
  • Personal data (e.g., HR records, customer information)
  • Transient data (e.g., notifications, system logs)

4. Deletion Process

4.1 Automated Deletion

When content reaches the end of its retention period and no legal holds apply:

  • The content is marked for deletion in our job queue
  • A deletion job processes the marked content
  • The content is permanently removed from storage
  • Metadata is anonymized or deleted as appropriate
  • An audit log records the deletion event

4.2 Manual Deletion

Users may manually delete content through:

  • The Free Space feature (exact-item deletion after archival verification)
  • Item deletion from the archive interface
  • Bulk deletion operations with confirmation

All manual deletions are logged and auditable.

4.3 Account Deletion

When a user requests account deletion:

  • The user must explicitly confirm understanding of permanent consequences
  • The user must reauthenticate (password or MFA) to authorize the deletion
  • A deletion request is created and processed asynchronously by a background worker
  • Archived content in workspaces where the user is the sole member is scheduled for deletion; content under legal hold or active retention is retained per policy
  • Content in shared organizational workspaces is preserved — only the user's membership and access are removed
  • Credential material is destroyed: password hash, MFA secrets and recovery codes, sign-in identity links, password reset tokens, stored provider credentials, and API tokens
  • Sessions are terminated on all devices when processing finishes
  • A confirmation email is sent to the account address; the request and its per-item results remain recorded for audit

Account deletion cannot proceed while the user is the sole administrator of an organizational workspace that still has other members — administrative rights must first be transferred.

5. Data Not Deleted by Account Closure

Account deletion does NOT delete data stored with external providers:

  • Google/Gmail: Email remains in your Gmail account
  • Microsoft/Outlook: Email remains in your Microsoft account
  • GitHub: Repositories and data remain in your GitHub account
  • Other Providers: Data remains with the original provider

You must separately manage deletion of data from external providers through their respective interfaces.

6. Legal Holds

6.1 Hold Placement

When a legal hold is placed:

  • Specified content is protected from deletion regardless of retention policy
  • The hold applies to both automated and manual deletion attempts
  • Hold status is clearly visible in the interface
  • Hold placement is audited and logged

6.2 Hold Release

When a legal hold is released:

  • Content becomes subject to normal retention policies
  • If retention has expired, content is marked for deletion
  • Hold release is audited and logged

7. Export Before Deletion

Before account deletion or bulk content deletion, users are strongly advised to:

  • Export all archived content using the export feature
  • Verify the export package contains all required data
  • Store the export securely in an external location
  • Confirm export integrity using provided SHA-256 hashes

Once deletion is processed, data cannot be recovered.

8. Backup and Disaster Recovery

  • Backups are created for disaster recovery purposes only
  • Backups are not used to restore deleted content through the application
  • Deleted data may persist in backup copies until those backups are rotated out or removed under the operational backup procedure

9. Audit and Compliance

  • Retention and deletion events are logged in the audit trail, including account deletion authorization, cancellation, and completion with per-item results
  • Audit logs include: timestamp, user identity, action, scope, and outcome
  • Audit and deletion-request records are retained for compliance review per the operational retention schedule
  • Audit logs are available to authorized personnel for compliance review

10. Data Recovery

  • Deleted content cannot be recovered through the application interface
  • In exceptional circumstances (e.g., system error), recovery may be possible from backups if within the backup retention window
  • Recovery requests require authorization from a tenant administrator
  • Recovery requests are documented and audited

11. Workspace Closure

When the sole member of a workspace deletes their account:

  • The workspace is closed and no longer administrable
  • Its archived content is scheduled for deletion subject to legal holds and retention
  • Workspace records are retained for audit and referential integrity

Shared organizational workspaces are not affected by an individual member's account deletion: the member's access and stored credentials are removed, while organization-owned connections, archived content, and policies are preserved for the remaining members.

12. Policy Updates

This policy may be updated to reflect:

  • Changes in applicable laws and regulations
  • Industry best practices
  • Service capability changes
  • Customer feedback

Significant changes will be communicated to customers via email and in-application notices.

13. Questions and Requests

For questions about this policy or to request:

  • Data export
  • Account deletion
  • Retention policy configuration
  • Legal hold management
  • Audit log access

Contact: support@intercomdata.com

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