Data Retention Policy
Transparent information about how long we store your temporary emails, operational data, and security logs, plus our automated deletion processes to protect your privacy.
Our Data Retention Philosophy
At TempMail AU, we believe in minimal data retention. We only store data for as long as necessary to provide our service, ensure security, and comply with legal requirements. Our automated systems regularly purge data to protect your privacy and minimize our data footprint.
This policy explains exactly what data we retain, for how long, and why, giving you complete transparency about our data handling practices.
Email Data Retention
Temporary Email Messages
Retention Period:
Email content and attachments are automatically deleted within 24 hours of receipt
What We Store:
- • Email subject lines
- • Message content (text and HTML)
- • Sender information
- • Attachments (if any)
- • Delivery timestamps
Why 24 Hours?
This allows sufficient time for you to access and read your emails while minimizing privacy exposure. Most users access their temporary emails within minutes or hours of receipt.
Automatic Deletion Process
- Scheduled Cleanup: Automated scripts run every hour to identify expired emails
- Secure Deletion: Data is permanently overwritten, not just marked as deleted
- Database Optimization: Regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance
- Backup Purging: Expired data is also removed from all backup systems
Early Deletion Options
- Manual Deletion: Delete individual emails immediately after reading
- Inbox Clearing: Clear entire inbox with one click
- Auto-Delete on Read: Option to delete emails automatically after viewing
- Session Cleanup: All data cleared when you close the browser tab
Operational Data Retention
Technical Logs & Analytics
Access Logs
IP addresses, user agents, and request timestamps for security monitoring
Error Logs
System errors and performance metrics for service improvement
Usage Analytics
Aggregated usage statistics and performance data (no personal information)
What We Log:
- • Request timestamps and response times
- • IP addresses (for security and abuse prevention)
- • Browser type and version (for compatibility)
- • Email domain creation and deletion events
- • API usage statistics (for developers)
- • System performance metrics
What We Don't Log:
- • Email content or subject lines
- • Personal identification information
- • Detailed browsing patterns
- • Email addresses you create
- • Sender or recipient information
- • Attachment contents or metadata
Security Data Retention
Abuse Prevention & Security Monitoring
Extended Retention Periods:
Logs related to potential abuse, spam, or security threats
Data related to confirmed security breaches or attacks
Security Data Types:
- • Failed login attempts and patterns
- • Unusual traffic spikes or patterns
- • Blocked IP addresses and reasons
- • Rate limiting violations
- • Spam detection triggers
- • API abuse attempts
Why We Retain Security Data Longer
Extended retention of security-related data helps us:
- • Identify and prevent recurring abuse patterns
- • Improve our security measures and detection systems
- • Comply with legal requirements for incident reporting
- • Protect legitimate users from spam and malicious activity
- • Investigate security incidents thoroughly
- • Provide evidence to law enforcement when required
- • Maintain service reliability and availability
- • Develop better abuse prevention algorithms
Automated Deletion Process
How Our Deletion System Works
1. Scheduled Scans
Automated scripts run every hour to identify expired data
2. Data Identification
System identifies all data that has exceeded retention periods
3. Secure Deletion
Data is permanently overwritten using secure deletion methods
4. Verification
System verifies successful deletion and logs the cleanup process
Deletion Standards
- Secure Overwriting: Data is overwritten multiple times to prevent recovery
- Database Cleanup: All references and indexes are removed
- Backup Purging: Expired data is removed from all backup systems
- Cache Clearing: All cached copies are invalidated and removed
Monitoring & Compliance
- Deletion Metrics: We track deletion success rates and timing
- Failure Alerts: Immediate notifications if deletion processes fail
- Audit Logs: All deletion activities are logged for compliance
- Regular Reviews: Monthly audits of retention and deletion processes
Legal Compliance & Data Rights
Regulatory Compliance
GDPR Compliance:
- • Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)
- • Data minimization principles
- • Purpose limitation for data processing
- • Storage limitation requirements
- • Transparent data processing practices
Australian Privacy Act:
- • Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
- • Data breach notification requirements
- • Individual access and correction rights
- • Reasonable security safeguards
- • Cross-border data transfer protections
Your Data Rights
Right to Access
Request information about what data we have about you
Right to Deletion
Request immediate deletion of your data before retention periods expire
Right to Portability
Export your data in a machine-readable format
Policy Updates
This Data Retention Policy may be updated to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service improvements. We will notify users of significant changes through:
- • Email notifications for material changes
- • Prominent website announcements
- • Updates to our Privacy Policy
- • Version history tracking
We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we handle data retention and deletion.
Questions About Data Retention?
Contact us for any questions about our data retention practices, deletion processes, or to exercise your data rights.