Provision record
Slack · Slack Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Data Retention

Low severity Common · 274 of 352 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Slack retains personal data for as long as necessary to provide its services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements, with specific retention periods varying by data type.

This analysis describes what Slack'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 operational framework for data retention lifecycle management, distinguishing between Customer Data (subject to customer-directed retention controls) and Other Information (retained under Slack's discretionary criteria). The provision clarifies that retention obligations are conditioned on both contractual terms and applicable law, and that control mechanisms vary by service tier.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
5
Months Monitored
Apr 3, 2026
First Seen
Apr 17, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 1630 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Your personal data may be retained by Slack indefinitely depending on the type of data and applicable legal requirements. If you want your data deleted, you need to submit an explicit deletion request, and even then some data may be retained for legal compliance purposes.

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.
  • Delete Your Data
    Submit a data deletion request to privacy@slack.com specifying your account details and the scope of data you want removed. Note that some data may be retained for legal compliance purposes even after a deletion request is honored.

How other platforms handle this

Palantir Medium

We collect and keep personal data only as needed or allowed for the purposes set out in this Statement, based on the reason we collected the personal data in the first instance and what is permitted under the laws that apply to the processing.

Affirm Medium

Affirm will retain your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and any applicable state or federal law, rule or regulation.

Mistral AI Medium

Mistral AI shall retain the Customer Exportable Data and Assets for a period of thirty (30) days from the earlier between (a) the expiration of the Transitional Period or (b) Customer's notification under Section 2.2.2 (b) of these Additional Terms.

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Slack will retain Customer Data in accordance with a Customer's instructions (including to perform any applicable terms in the Customer Agreement and through Customer's use of Services functionality) and as required by applicable law. Customer may customize its retention settings and, depending on the Services plan, apply those customized settings at the Workspace level, channel level or other level. Slack may retain Other Information pertaining to you for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and to pursue legitimate business interests, conduct audits, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Excerpt from Slack's Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

Variable and indefinite retention periods create GDPR compliance risk under the storage limitation principle (Article 5(1)(e)), which requires personal data to be kept for no longer than necessary.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →

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
Slack Privacy Policy
Entity
Slack
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 20, 2026
Last verified
March 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-001021
Document ID
CA-D-00192
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
1a801f907c7c06d87fe28bd8d272d95e49e8860687f538ae969d61b298d09dcf
Analysis generated
March 20, 2026 06:00 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Slack
Document: Slack Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-001021
Captured: 2026-03-20 06:00:16 UTC
SHA-256: 1a801f907c7c06d8…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/slack/slack-privacy-policy/provision/CA-P-001021/data-retention/
Accessed: Sept. 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Low
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Slack's Data Retention clause do?

This provision establishes the operational framework for data retention lifecycle management, distinguishing between Customer Data (subject to customer-directed retention controls) and Other Information (retained under Slack's discretionary criteria). The provision clarifies that retention obligations are conditioned on both contractual terms and applicable law, and that control mechanisms vary by service tier.

How does this clause affect you?

Your personal data may be retained by Slack indefinitely depending on the type of data and applicable legal requirements. If you want your data deleted, you need to submit an explicit deletion request, and even then some data may be retained for legal compliance purposes.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 274 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Slack?

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