Data Retention

How long every kind of record lives, and what deletion really does.

Version 5 · in force since 24 September 2026 · what changed. Drafted in good faith; not legal advice.

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How long each kind of data lives, and what deletion actually does. Where a period is "until you delete it", that is a real answer: we do not expire your conversations behind your back.

DataKept for
Account record (username, email, password hash)Until you delete the account
Messages and mediaUntil deleted by you, or the account is deleted
Recordings of lives2 days, then deleted. A live stopped by our staff or by a report: held 90 days, as the law requires, then deleted.
Cloud recordings of meetings2 days from the end of the recording, then deleted — the file and everyone's access to it. There is no way to extend it.
Songs added to the music libraryUntil the artist withdraws them or deletes the account, or we remove them
Lives: comments, hearts and who watched30 days after the live ends, then deleted. The video of a live is never stored.
System and call-signalling logs14 days, then purged
Device-reported media failures14 days, with the logs
Payment and settlement records As long as tax and anti-money-laundering law requires (typically 7 years)
Seller identity records (INFORM Act)While selling, and as the Act requires after
Content reports and moderation decisions 730 days once resolved, for appeals and pattern-of-abuse checks
CSAM reports and preserved evidence As required by law and by NCMEC; not deleted on request, and excluded from the automated purge
DMCA notices and counter-notices 1095 days, to operate the repeat-infringer policy
Sanctions screening outcomes Held on the account record, and removed with it
BackupsRolling; deleted data ages out of backups within 38 days

What deleting your account does

It removes your account record and your content, and anonymises the log lines that mention you rather than leaving your name scattered through them. It does not remove: messages you sent that other people still hold on their own devices; records we are legally required to keep, listed above; or an aggregate that no longer identifies you.

Deletion is immediate and self-service, in Settings → Your data & privacy. There is no waiting period and nobody to persuade.

If we are told to preserve specific records for an investigation or litigation, those records are held outside the schedule above until the hold lifts.

What has changed

24 September 2026 · version 5

24 September 2026 · version 4

24 September 2026 · version 3

24 September 2026 · version 2

12 July 2026 · version 1

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