Recording Deletion and Retention

How and when recordings are deleted in Luware Recording depends on three things: the configured retention policy, whether automatic deletion is enabled, and whether Legal Hold is active.

Introduction

Every recording in Luware Recording is subject to a retention policy that defines how long it must be kept. Once that period expires, the recording becomes eligible for deletion, either automatically or manually, depending on your configuration.

Some scenarios block deletion entirely regardless of retention settings, so it's worth understanding how these rules interact before assuming a recording will be removed.

Deletion Within the Retention Period

Recordings cannot be manually deleted while they are still within their configured retention period. This protects organizations from accidental or premature removal of recordings that may be required for regulatory compliance.

If early deletion is required, for example to honor a data subject access request, customers with the appropriate license can use the Deletion Workflow feature. This requires a configured approval workflow and dual authorization, so no single user can unilaterally remove a protected recording. Check Recording Solution Packages to confirm whether your license includes this feature.

Deletion After Retention Expiry

Once a recording's retention period expires, what happens next depends on whether automatic deletion is enabled in your configuration.

If automatic deletion is enabled, Luware Recording permanently removes the recording once the retention period ends. No manual action is required.

If automatic deletion is not enabled, expired recordings stay in storage until an authorized administrator deletes them manually. Organizations using this approach should have a regular review process in place to manage storage and meet data minimization obligations.

Legal Hold

Legal Hold overrides all retention and deletion rules. If a recording has Legal Hold applied, it cannot be deleted, regardless of whether its retention period has expired or automatic deletion is enabled.

Recordings under Legal Hold are preserved until the hold is explicitly lifted by an authorized user, which is typically required during litigation, regulatory investigations, or other legal proceedings. Deletion only becomes possible once the Legal Hold has been removed.

Summary