Medium · Medium Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Data Retention Policy

Medium severity Common · 66 of 325 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Recent governance activity Medium recorded 5 documented changes in the last 30 days.
Start monitoring updates
Monitor governance changes for Medium Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.

This analysis describes what Medium's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This clause defines the operational framework for data retention duration and grounds for post-termination retention. It establishes that retention extends beyond active account status for specified institutional purposes, rather than limiting retention to the active service period alone.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users operate under a retention framework where personal information persists for service provision during account activity and continues afterward for legal compliance, dispute resolution, and agreement enforcement. The burden for terminating information use rests on explicit user request through contact with Medium.

How other platforms handle this

OpenAI Medium

We retain personal data for as long as needed to provide our services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our policies. Retention periods will vary depending on the type of data and the purposes for which we use it.

Microsoft Azure Medium

Microsoft retains personal data for as long as necessary to provide the products and fulfill the transactions you have requested, or for other legitimate purposes such as complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. Because these needs can vary for differen...

Meta Ads Medium

We keep information as long as we need it to provide our products and services and fulfil the purposes described in this policy. This is a case-by-case determination that depends on things like the nature of the information, why it is collected and processed, relevant legal or operational retention ...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Medium has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 10 platforms.

Start Watcher free trial Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
We will retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. If you wish to cancel your account or request that we no longer use your information to provide you services, contact us. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

— Excerpt from Medium's Medium Privacy Policy

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
UK GDPR
United Kingdom

Provision details

Document information
Document
Medium Privacy Policy
Entity
Medium
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-006299
Document ID
CA-D-00246
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
e35f84d3838ccfa621e04fd336ef96e0cfa20727ba6681f8e3e85c0d285d0b9e
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 19:54 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Medium
Document: Medium Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-006299
Captured: 2026-05-10 19:54:51 UTC
SHA-256: e35f84d3838ccfa6…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/medium/medium-privacy-policy/data-retention-policy/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Professional Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Professional includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Start Professional free trial

Or start with Watcher →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Medium's Data Retention Policy clause do?

This clause defines the operational framework for data retention duration and grounds for post-termination retention. It establishes that retention extends beyond active account status for specified institutional purposes, rather than limiting retention to the active service period alone.

How does this clause affect you?

Users operate under a retention framework where personal information persists for service provision during account activity and continues afterward for legal compliance, dispute resolution, and agreement enforcement. The burden for terminating information use rests on explicit user request through contact with Medium.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 66 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Medium?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Medium.