Data Retention In 2026 And The Gap Between Policy And Practice – Article Published In Privacy And Data Protection Journal

The Privacy and Data Protection Journal has published an article by Duc Tran (Of Counsel) of our Digital TMT, Sourcing & Data team. Please click here to access the full article.

The article examines why many organisations continue to struggle with data and record retention, and how they can adopt a defensible, practical approach across modern data environments. In particular, it considers:

• The legal framework - including the tension between data minimisation and the patchwork of minimum retention periods applicable to different records;
• The consequences of getting it wrong - whether through premature deletion, over-retention or failing to establish an effective governance framework;
• Common practical pitfalls in retention exercises - at both the policy drafting and the implementation stage where policy and practice can diverge, especially when records sit across email, shared drives and collaboration platforms; and