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Data Retention Policy

Last updated: February 27, 2026

1. Overview

Meade County Local ("MCL") retains user data only as long as necessary to provide our services, comply with legal obligations, and enforce our policies. This document describes what data we store, how long we keep it, and how you can request its deletion.

2. Data Categories and Retention Periods

Account Data

Name, email, password (hashed), date of birth, profile information (bio, location, avatar).

  • Active accounts: Retained for the lifetime of the account.
  • Deleted accounts: Permanently removed from our database within 30 days of deletion request.

User-Generated Content

Posts, comments, reactions, and associated metadata.

  • Active accounts: Retained for the lifetime of the account.
  • Deleted accounts: All posts, comments, and reactions are permanently deleted at the time of account deletion.
  • Moderator-removed content: Soft-deleted (hidden from public view) and permanently purged after 90 days.

Media Files

Images, videos, and documents uploaded to the Platform.

  • Database references: Removed when the associated content or account is deleted.
  • IPFS storage: Media is stored on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). MCL will unpin deleted content from our nodes, but data may persist on the decentralized network beyond our control. See Section 5 for details.

Verification Records

Address, ZIP code, and proof-of-residency documents submitted for the Verified Local badge.

  • Approved requests: Address and ZIP retained; uploaded documents unpinned from IPFS after 90 days.
  • Denied requests: Permanently deleted after 30 days.
  • Account deletion: All verification records are immediately deleted.

Guest Session Data

Session identifier, IP address, browser user agent, and last visit timestamp.

  • Automatically purged after 90 days of inactivity.

Activity Logs

Actions logged for security and moderation purposes (login events, content creation, moderation actions).

  • Active accounts: Retained for 1 year, then automatically purged.
  • Deleted accounts: Immediately deleted with the account.

Email Preferences and Unsubscribe Tokens

  • Retained for the lifetime of the account and deleted with it.

DMCA Notices

Takedown notices and counter-notifications submitted through the Platform.

  • Retained for a minimum of 3 years as required for legal compliance, then reviewed for deletion.

3. Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time from your Profile page. When you delete your account, the following happens immediately:

  • All your posts, comments, and reactions are permanently deleted
  • All uploaded media references are removed from our database
  • Your verification records are deleted
  • Your roles, permissions, and activity logs are removed
  • Your account is logged out and the record is permanently deleted

If you cannot access your account, you may request deletion by emailing [email protected] from the email address associated with your account. We will process the request within 30 days.

4. Data Export

You may request a copy of your personal data by emailing [email protected]. We will provide a machine-readable export of your account data, posts, comments, and associated metadata within 30 days.

5. IPFS and Decentralized Storage

MCL uses IPFS for media storage and cross-county content federation. IPFS is a decentralized, content-addressed storage network. Important considerations:

  • When content is deleted from MCL, we unpin it from all MCL-operated IPFS nodes.
  • Unpinned content will be garbage-collected from our nodes during routine maintenance.
  • If other IPFS nodes outside our control have pinned the same content, it may remain accessible on the network.
  • MCL cannot guarantee complete removal of content from the global IPFS network.

6. Backups

MCL maintains database backups for disaster recovery. Deleted data may persist in backups for up to 30 days before being rotated out. Backups are encrypted and stored on our failover server.

7. Legal Holds

If MCL receives a valid legal request (subpoena, court order, or law enforcement request), we may be required to preserve data that would otherwise be deleted. We will notify affected users unless legally prohibited from doing so.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Data Retention Policy periodically. Registered users will be notified of material changes. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

9. Contact

For questions about data retention, deletion requests, or data export requests, contact [email protected].