Data Retention Schedule
One table, one source of truth. Every other DECTIFY policy that mentions a retention period points here, so the numbers cannot drift apart.
Storage limitation is a legal obligation in both jurisdictions we operate in: section 8(7) of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires erasure once the purpose is served, and Australian Privacy Principle 11.2 requires destruction or de-identification once information is no longer needed. This schedule is how we discharge it.
1. How to read this
- Default is what applies unless a customer changes it within the permitted range.
- Floor is the shortest period a customer may configure. Below the floor the product stops functioning as documented.
- Ceiling is the longest period DECTIFY will support. A customer may only exceed it where its own law compels retention, and must record the provision relied on.
- Trigger is what starts the clock.
2. Customer Data — captures and derivations
| Data class | Default | Floor | Ceiling | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous video footage | 30 days | 24 hours | 90 days | Capture |
| Facial image crops | 30 days | 24 hours | 90 days | Capture |
| Biometric templates — ambient, unmatched | 72 hours | 1 hour | 72 hours | Capture |
| Biometric templates — matched to an active watchlist entry | 90 days | 7 days | 90 days | Match, or case closure if earlier |
| Enrolled gallery templates | Entry expiry date | — | 12 months per entry | Removal or expiry |
| Plate reads — no alert | 30 days | 24 hours | 90 days | Capture |
| Plate reads — alerted | 90 days | 7 days | 12 months | Alert, or case closure if earlier |
| Re-identification tracks | Session, max 24 hours | — | 24 hours | Session end |
| Crowd counts and density metrics (aggregate, non-identifying) | 24 months | 30 days | 36 months | Capture |
| Driver-safety events (DriveCheck) | 90 days | 30 days | 12 months | Event |
| Traffic signal telemetry (non-identifying) | 24 months | 30 days | 36 months | Capture |
| Aerial mission recordings (SkyResponder) | 30 days | 7 days | 90 days | Mission end |
| Alerts and match-review decisions | 12 months | 90 days | 7 years | Decision |
| Evidence exported to a case file | Customer-set | — | Customer's legal obligation | Export |
3. Platform and account data
| Data class | Retention | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Audit logs — searches, exports, enrolments, admin changes | 180 days minimum, then per customer configuration up to 7 years | CERT-In Direction of 28 April 2022; customer accountability |
| Authentication and access logs | 180 days | Security investigation; CERT-In |
| Account administrator records | Contract term + 7 years | Companies Act 2013 and Income Tax Act 1961 record-keeping |
| Training and certification records | Contract term + 3 years | Evidence of clause 5.3 compliance |
| Support tickets and correspondence | 36 months from closure | Service history and dispute resolution |
| Billing and tax records | 7 years | Statutory in India; 5 years minimum in Australia under the Income Tax Assessment Act |
| Contracts and Order Forms | Term + 7 years | Limitation Act 1963 (India); state limitation periods (Australia) |
| Service Data — telemetry, diagnostics, usage | 24 months | Capacity planning and reliability engineering |
4. Data DECTIFY controls
| Data class | Retention | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Website analytics | Per the Cookie Policy — up to 24 months by category | Collection |
| Enquiry and demo-request records | 24 months | Last contact |
| Marketing consent records | Consent duration + 3 years | Withdrawal |
| Unsuccessful candidate records | 12 months | Decision, unless the candidate consents to a talent pool |
| Employee records | Employment + 7 years | Separation |
| Vulnerability reports | 36 months | Closure |
| Government and law enforcement request records | 7 years | Response, for transparency reporting |
5. Deletion mechanics
5.1 Rolling deletion. Time-bounded classes are deleted by a scheduled job that runs continuously, not by a periodic sweep. A record reaching its expiry is removed from production storage and from every search index within the following hour.
5.2 Backups. Deleted records persist in encrypted backups until those backups age out, within ninety (90) days. Backups are not searchable, are not restored selectively to recover deleted data, and are used only for disaster recovery of an entire system state.
5.3 Closure triggers. Where a period is expressed as "or case closure if earlier", closing the case in the HUB deletes the associated data immediately rather than waiting for expiry.
5.4 Legal hold. Where DECTIFY is served with a preservation demand it is legally required to honour, the affected data is placed on hold and excluded from automated deletion for the duration. Holds are recorded, are as narrow as the demand permits, are reviewed every ninety (90) days, and are released as soon as the obligation lapses. Customers are notified unless we are prohibited from telling them. See Government and Law Enforcement Requests.
5.5 Termination. On termination of an Order Form, Customer Data is available for export for thirty (30) days, deleted from production within a further thirty (30) days, and gone from backups within ninety (90) days after that. Biometric templates are deleted on their own accelerated schedule and are not held for the export window.
5.6 Certification. On written request DECTIFY provides a deletion certificate identifying the data set, the date of deletion and the mechanism used.
6. Changes
A change that shortens a period takes effect immediately. A change that lengthens a default or a ceiling is treated as materially adverse and takes effect at a customer's next renewal, on thirty (30) days' notice. Every change is recorded in the log at Compliance and Security Updates.
Ceilings are ceilings. DECTIFY will not extend biometric template retention beyond ninety (90) days for commercial reasons, on any tier, for any customer. A statutory obligation is the only thing that moves it, and the customer must identify the provision.
Contact
Questions about this document: legal@dectify.in
DECTIFY Technologies Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India