How long may I retain customer data?
No fixed GDPR period; you set it by purpose. The Belastingdienst requires 7 years for accounting; marketing data can be shorter.
support/compliance-en-wetgeving/bewaartermijnen-klantdatasteps: 5
Try this first
- Split by purpose. Accounting and invoicing: 7 years (fiscal). Warranty and service: contract term plus a few years. Marketing: as short as defensible, often 2-to-3 years after last interaction.
- Capture the period in the processing register and in the privacy notice toward the customer.
- Configure automatic clean-up where possible. CRMs and mail platforms have retention filters; use them.
- Anonymise rather than retain where possible. Anonymised data falls outside GDPR.
- Document a deletion procedure including backups, or old records survive via your restore set.
When to bring us in
Medical, financial, or criminal data have stricter rules (NEN 7510, Wft, Wpg). Get specialist advice rather than guess.
See also
- Does NIS2 apply to my company?Two questions decide it: are you in a listed sector, and do you meet the threshold from Recommendation 2003/361/EC (more than 50 FTE and more than EUR 10M turnover or balance sheet). Below that you are only indirectly in scope, via your customers. The threshold determines whether you are an important or essential entity depending on sector.
- What changes with the Dutch Cyber Security Act?The Cyberbeveiligingswet is the Dutch implementation of NIS2. Track NCSC for the exact effective date and the lower regulations.
- Am I personally liable as a director under NIS2?Yes. The board is accountable for approving and overseeing the cyber measures. Severe negligence can become personal.
None of the above fits?
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