Ensuring you don’t store personal data for longer than you require it, is a core data protection principle – one which we all know is both complex and challenging to comply with in practice.

Robert Bond hosted this Data Protection Network webinar, discussing considerations when setting retention periods and outlining some good approaches for both commercial organisations and charities.

The panel highlighted the difficulties organisations face in taking the right course of action when data reaches the end of its retention period. For example, is it best to always destroy the data? What other options do you have? How can you overcome the challenges when using complex data ecosystems or legacy systems?

The DPN is currently collaborating with privacy specialists from a broad range of industry sectors to produce practical principle-based guidance on data retention. Under the chairmanship of Robert, this guide will look to be published in early 2020.

Robert Bond was joined by members of the DPN Working Group;

• Nina Barakzai, Chief Privacy Officer and General Counsel Data Protection, Unilever
• Simon Blanchard, Deputy DPN Chair & Senior Associate at the data protection consultancy, Opt-4
• Claire Robson, Head of Legal and Compliance/DPO at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
• Matthew Kay, Data Protection Officer EMEA at Thomson Reuters