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Data Retention Risks: What Your ROPA Should Reflect

ByPrivacyiQ

Your Record of Processing Activities (ROPA) should include clear retention rules. Here’s how to get it right.

The Record of Processing Activities (ROPA) is a GDPR requirement — but many organisations miss a critical piece: retention periods.

Why this matters:

  • It shows compliance with the storage limitation principle
  • It proves control over data life cycles in audits or investigations

Tips for improvement:

  • Include specific timeframes (not vague phrases like “as long as necessary”)
  • Link each processing activity to its legal basis and retention
  • Update annually, or when processes change

Think of ROPA as your data retention blueprint. If it’s vague, so is your compliance posture.

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