Zoom Recordings and Transcripts Retention Policy

1. Purpose and Scope 

The purpose of this policy is to establish robust guidelines for the retention and management of Zoom recordings and transcripts within the California Community Colleges System/TechConnect (CCC TechConnect). This policy ensures strict compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, safeguarding sensitive information, and upholding data security standards. It applies to all employees, contractors, and users responsible for creating, accessing, or managing Zoom recordings on behalf of the California Community Colleges System. 

2. Legal Compliance 

The California Community Colleges System commits to strict adherence to relevant laws and regulations governing data retention and privacy. These include, but are not limited to, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and other pertinent regional or industry-specific requirements. 

3. Retention Periods 

Districts are required to establish and maintain a local retention policy of 365 days or less to remain in compliance with systemwide requirements. When a district is compliant, the standard annual July 1 deletion cycle applies, and no additional enforcement actions are taken.

In alignment with a district’s configured retention setting, Zoom recordings and transcripts stored in Zoom’s cloud for CCC TechConnect subaccount users (faculty, staff, and administrators) are automatically deleted once they reach the defined retention period. A retention policy specifies the number of days a recording is retained from the date of creation before it is deleted from the Zoom cloud.   Revised 05.20.26

4. Retention Review Process 

A comprehensive annual review will be conducted to evaluate the ongoing necessity of retaining Zoom recordings and transcripts. Designated personnel, in collaboration with legal, compliance, IT, and business units, will assess the storage status in each subaccount.  When there is no retention policy set, or when the set policy exceeds 365 days, which falls outside systemwide requirements, TechConnect will establish the policy at 365 days. The policy standard is to perform an annual subaccount review each July to verify compliance. Districts/organizations that meet this requirement will continue to follow the standard annual deletion cycle and will not be subject to the temporary 365-day enforcement mechanism.  Revised for clarity 05.20.26

Please note, as a temporary compliance safeguard in 2026 for those in a non-compliant state, TechConnect will apply a 365-day retention enforcement to restore compliance. After the deletion process completes, TechConnect will remove the 365-day setting to allow districts/organizations additional time to establish a retention data policy per the policy requirement.   Amended 05.20.26

5. Deletion Procedures 

Deleted recordings/transcripts will move to the Trash folder and are recoverable for up to 30 days.  After 30 days, Zoom will automatically and permanently expunge Trash recordings/transcripts.  When account settings are established, users will be notified of a permanent recording deletion 7 days in advance or receive a weekly digest of all scheduled recording deletions.   Revised for clarity 05.20.26

Deletion Schedule: 

The annual compliance review of each district or organization's established Zoom Data Retention policy will take place during the following time periods: 

• October 2025 completed.
• July 1, 2026
• July 1, 2027
• July 1, 2028
• Ongoing annually

6. Recording Guidelines 

• Avoid recording and using transcripts on sessions involving clinical or electronic protected health information. 
• Record/use transcripts only with a compelling reason (e.g., future student viewing or compiling meeting minutes). 
• Inform meeting participants before recording/using transcripts and obtain their consent. 
• Retain recordings/transcripts for the shortest necessary period and delete them when no longer needed. 
• Regularly review and move/delete recordings/transcripts in line with CCC TechConnect’s guidelines. 

7. Policy Enforcement and Monitoring 

CCC TechConnect will rigorously enforce this retention policy through regular monitoring, audits, and follow corrective measures for non-compliance. 

8. Policy Review and Updates 

This retention policy will undergo periodic reviews and updates to reflect changes in laws, regulations, technology, or organizational requirements. 

9. Documentation and Records 

Designated personnel will meticulously maintain documentation of this retention policy, including any revisions, approvals, and audit trails. Records of retention schedules, deletion activities, access logs, and compliance assessments will be retained in accordance with applicable retention periods. 

By adhering to this Zoom recordings retention policy, CCC TechConnect is committed to ensuring responsible and compliant management of recorded meetings and classes. All personnel are expected to familiarize themselves with this policy and fulfill their obligations to protect the privacy and security of Zoom recordings and transcripts within CCC TechConnect. 

10. Chancellor's Office Recoding Storage Memorandum

Link to 2024 memorandum is below.