Data Retention Policy

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Data Retention Policy for Free Trial and Terminated Accounts

1. Introduction

This Data Retention Policy outlines how Octate Software L.L.C handles and retains data related to free trial users and terminated accounts. The goal is to ensure compliance with applicable data protection regulations and industry standards while protecting user privacy.

2. Scope of Policy

This policy applies to:

  • Users who sign up for a free trial.
  • Accounts that have been terminated (either by the user or by the company).

3. Purpose of Data Retention

Octate Software L.L.C retains user data for various purposes, including but not limited to:

  • Providing services to users.
  • Customer support and resolving disputes.
  • Complying with legal obligations (e.g., tax or financial reporting).
  • Improving service offerings and ensuring platform integrity.
  • Analyzing service usage and behavior for business development.

4. Data Retention Periods

4.1 Free Trial Accounts:

Data Retention Period:

Upon expiration of the free trial period, data associated with inactive accounts will be retained for a period of ninety (90) days. For accounts that are deemed active during or subsequent to the trial period, data will be retained for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the conclusion of the trial. Thereafter, such data may be permanently deleted in accordance with our data retention policy.

Access:

Users enrolled in the free trial will retain access to their account and associated data for the duration of the trial period. After the trial expires, the account will be inactive. Users will still be able to log in; however, access to system functionality will be restricted.

(Needs a prompt: Client will be able to log in but will be notified after they log in that their free trial period has expired)

Data Deletion:

If the free trial user does not convert to a paid account, all personally identifiable data (PII), usage data, and any content stored on the platform will be retained for 90 days after the trial period ends, after which it will be permanently deleted.

4.2 Terminated Accounts (User-Initiated or Company-Initiated):

User-Initiated Termination: If the account is terminated by the user, all data will be retained for 365 days to allow for reactivation or account retrieval in case of error. After this period, the data will be permanently deleted.

Company-Initiated Termination: If the account is terminated due to a violation of terms of service, fraud, or other violations, data retention will comply with legal and regulatory requirements, but will generally be kept for 2 years after their termination date to manage potential disputes or compliance needs.

4.3 Non-Active Accounts

Data Retention Period:

Accounts that remain inactive (no login or system activity) for a continuous period of twelve (12) months will be classified as non-active. Data from such accounts will be retained for twelve (12) months from the last activity date. After this period, users will receive a notification of pending data deletion. If no action is taken within thirty (30) days, the data may be permanently deleted.

Access:

Users can continue to log in during the 12-month inactivity period. Once flagged for deletion, login access may still be available, but system functionality will be limited unless the account is reactivated.

Data Deletion:

If no user activity or request to retain the account is received within thirty (30) days of the deletion notice, all personal data, usage records, and stored content will be permanently deleted. Anonymized or aggregated data may be retained for internal analysis.

5. Data Types Retained

The following types of data may be retained, as applicable:

  • Account Information: Name, email address, contact details, and any other registration information.
  • Data Usage: Data about user interactions with the platform (e.g., log-ins, activity history).
  • Content: Files, messages, or other content uploaded or created by the user within the platform.
  • Billing Information: Only if applicable, in the case of a transition from a free trial to a paid plan.

6. Data Deletion

Once the retention period has passed, all data will be securely deleted from our systems. The deletion process will ensure that:

  • The data is completely removed from live databases and backups.
  • If the data is stored on third-party services (e.g., cloud storage), we will request its deletion as per the terms of our agreements.

7. Exceptions to Data Deletion

In certain circumstances, data may be retained for longer periods due to:

  • Legal Requirements: We may be required to retain certain data for a specified period for regulatory, audit, or tax purposes.
  • Dispute Resolution: If there is an ongoing dispute or legal action involving the user or the account.
  • Backup and Recovery: Data may be retained in backup systems temporarily, but this will not affect its permanent deletion from active systems.

8. User Rights and Requests

Users can request access, rectification, or deletion of their data at any time during the retention period. We will respond to all requests in accordance with applicable data protection laws. For data access requests, please contact info@octate.ooo

9. Notification of Changes to This Policy

If there are any significant changes to the data retention periods or the handling of user data, users will be notified via email or within the platform. This policy may be updated periodically, and the latest version will always be available on our website.