Yahoo! Data Storage and Anonymization FAQ

Q: Why is Yahoo! changing its user log data retention policy?

A: To meet the needs of our consumers for innovation, personalization and relevance, Yahoo! is aligning our log file data retention policy closer to the competitive norm across the industry. We will no longer apply a 90-day retention policy to raw search logs or other log file data and will instead hold raw search log files for 18 months prior to anonymization. As for non-search data, we removed the current 90-day retention period for these log files as we re-examine the right policy going forward that allows us to meet consumer demand for richer, more deeply personal experiences in our products.

Q: What is Yahoo!’s updated user log data retention policy?

A: Yahoo!’s new policy will be to de-identify search log data within 18 months of collection with limited exceptions to meet legal obligations. For other, non-search log data we collect, that data will be retained for a longer period in order to power innovative product development, provide personalized experiences, and better enable our security systems to detect and defend against fraudulent activity.

Q: When will the updated policy go into effect?

A: Yahoo!'s new user log file data retention policy is now in effect.

Q: Does this change the data retention period for data collected prior to the update?

A: No – Yahoo! will only apply the updated retention period to data collected AFTER the updated policy goes into effect.