Microsoft Teams has become highly popular over the past several years and has changed the way we work. While it seems communication has become seamless, there are several factors that make keeping chat histories indefinitely problematic, including: 

Operational efficiency  

A retention policy will create standards for the university regarding communications and will facilitate more streamlined processes. If a retention policy is in place, users will understand that communications related to specific subject matters (e.g., project-related) should be stored in an appropriate platform where relevant information can be easily accessed. This approach avoids the need to sift through extensive chat history containing unrelated content and potentially outdated information. 

Security and risk mitigation  

A retention policy on Teams chat history will reduce the exposure of potentially sensitive information and unauthorized access. These risks could potentially lead to legal liabilities.  

Compliance and legal considerations 

Retaining individual chat history indefinitely creates legal risks and can potentially leave the university open to a variety of legal challenges. 

Please note that Teams Chat deleted by a retention policy is gone permanently and cannot be recovered. Everyone across the tenant will be subject to the retention policy.