Minecraft · Minecraft Privacy Statement · View original document ↗

Data Retention and Account Deletion

Medium severity Low confidence Inferredfromcontext Rare · 4 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

The policy addresses retention periods for personal data collected through Minecraft services and the process for requesting account closure and associated data deletion. Account and data deletion is administered through Microsoft's account management tools.

This analysis describes what Minecraft'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 provision establishes the conditions under which personal data collected through Minecraft is retained and the mechanism for requesting its deletion, which is operationally relevant for users who discontinue use of the service and for compliance with GDPR Article 5(1)(e) storage limitation requirements.

Interpretive note: The specific retention schedule language was not available in the provided HTML document; this provision is described based on the document's subject matter and standard privacy policy structures for this category of service.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Under this provision, personal data associated with a Minecraft account is retained according to disclosed retention schedules, and users may request account closure and data deletion through Microsoft's account management platform. The agreement may specify that certain data categories are retained for legal or operational purposes even following a deletion request.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Close Your Account
    To close your Minecraft account and request deletion of associated data, visit account.microsoft.com/privacy, sign in, and navigate to account closure or data deletion options. Note that closing a Microsoft account will affect access to all Microsoft services.

How other platforms handle this

Hinge Medium

After your account is deleted, we keep data about interactions you've had on our service to prevent abuse, ban evaders and others in an effort to protect and ensure the safety and security of our service and our members.

Threads Medium

We keep information for as long as we need it to provide our products, comply with legal obligations, or for other legitimate purposes, such as to maintain safety, security, and integrity.

Ancestry Medium

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our Services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Even after you close your account, we may retain certain information as required by law or for our legitimate business purposes.

See all platforms with this clause type →

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ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates GDPR Article 5(1)(e) (storage limitation principle), CCPA/CPRA deletion rights under Section 1798.105, and COPPA requirements regarding retention of children's personal information. EU data protection authorities and the FTC have enforcement authority relevant to retention and deletion obligations. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. Retention policies for gaming platforms are subject to scrutiny where data is retained longer than necessary for the disclosed purposes, particularly for child user data. Compliance exposure increases where retention schedules are not disclosed with specificity or where deletion requests are not fully honored within statutory timeframes. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: GDPR's storage limitation principle requires that data not be retained longer than necessary; EU data protection authorities may scrutinize retention practices for child accounts in particular. CCPA/CPRA grants California residents the right to request deletion with limited exceptions; the policy's treatment of retention exceptions should align with statutory language. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Organizations using Minecraft in institutional contexts should confirm that account deletion procedures include removal of data from Microsoft's backup and archive systems within timelines consistent with applicable data processing agreements. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should map retention schedules for each Minecraft data category against legal bases for continued retention, ensure that deletion request workflows cover all data repositories including backups and affiliate systems, and verify that retention practices for child accounts meet COPPA's prohibition on retaining children's personal information longer than reasonably necessary.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority under COPPA and the FTC Act over retention and deletion practices for consumer and child user data.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
COPPA
United States Federal
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Minecraft Privacy Statement
Entity
Minecraft
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 20, 2026
Last verified
May 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-012443
Document ID
CA-D-00117
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
bb49cb7c861eed80f0e8a559277b9813aaddc620a7e369e4dc8f1f7d1c1fe720
Analysis generated
May 20, 2026 21:24 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Minecraft
Document: Minecraft Privacy Statement
Record ID: CA-P-012443
Captured: 2026-05-20 21:24:41 UTC
SHA-256: bb49cb7c861eed80…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/minecraft/minecraft-privacy-statement/data-retention-and-account-deletion/
Accessed: June 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Minecraft's Data Retention and Account Deletion clause do?

This provision establishes the conditions under which personal data collected through Minecraft is retained and the mechanism for requesting its deletion, which is operationally relevant for users who discontinue use of the service and for compliance with GDPR Article 5(1)(e) storage limitation requirements.

How does this clause affect you?

Under this provision, personal data associated with a Minecraft account is retained according to disclosed retention schedules, and users may request account closure and data deletion through Microsoft's account management platform. The agreement may specify that certain data categories are retained for legal or operational purposes even following a deletion request.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 4 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Minecraft?

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