The policy can cover prompts, uploaded files, generated output, account information, safety records and diagnostic logs. Different categories may have different storage locations, access controls and deletion schedules.
A claim of zero retention should state what is excluded and how the behavior is enforced. Temporary processing, security metadata, backups and subprocessors can still matter even when prompt content is not kept after a response.
ELI5
An AI data retention policy states what information an AI service keeps, why it keeps it, where it is stored and when it is deleted. Different rules can apply to prompts, uploaded files, outputs, account details and diagnostic logs.
For example, a company might keep security logs for 90 days but delete uploaded documents after a task finishes. The policy should also cover backups, legal holds, access records and whether retained information may be used to train models.
What should a zero-retention claim explain?
It should explain temporary processing, logs, backups, subprocessors, abuse monitoring and how deletion is enforced.
Why does provider identity matter for data retention?
Users need to know which accountable organization makes and enforces the storage promise.
