After I’ve deleted an iCloud backup, how long does Apple retain it? I’m aware that we cant officially recover an iCloud backup once we’ve deleted it from our account, but I’m pretty sure Apple has the capability to retrieve it. If that’s the case, how long do they have access to it?
Actually found some guidance in the privacy policy:
https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/law-enforcement-guidelines-us.pdf
section III, part G, subpart iii:
iCloud stores content for the services that the subscriber has elected to maintain in the account while the subscriber’s account remains active. Apple does not retain deleted content once it is cleared from Apple’s servers.
It’s not clear, however, what constitutes something being “cleared from Apple servers”.
Does that happen when a customer deletes data from their iCloud, or when Apple deletes it? If Apple retains even deleted data for a period of time, then it would mean that your content isn’t truly deleted right away.
I will give you my answer to the best of my knowledge based on what I know about Apple’s Privacy practices.
Apple stores your iCloud backups on their servers but would never archive it after you delete it.That would go against everything that Apple preaches about privacy. They would have no right to archive your backup after you delete it.
I would hope so, but their language in the privacy policy about iCloud data retention is particularly vague. If it is, in fact, gone forever after a user deletes it, they might have been more specific in the wording. The language they use "cleared from Apple servers" is wide open for interpretation and gives them more latitude as to when it actually is removed from their retention.
It may give Apple latitude, for example, if law enforcement has served them with warrant for all data in a user's iCloud account. Phone backups to iCloud are not encrypted with a user's private key like iTunes backups can be. So, if the owner deletes their phone backups, by the language of that policy Apple may be compelled to keep it. Hence, it would not be "cleared from Apple servers" and all messages from any messaging app that existed on the phone at time of backup would still be viewable.
I asked Apple for clarity on this through their contact link 2 weeks ago with the same question. They have not yet responded.
Really, simple question.... based on their privacy policy - is my iCloud data "cleared from Apple Servers" as soon as I manually delete it, or is it retained longer in some kind of archive before they "clear" it?
How long does Apple retain old iCloud backups
