What do you need to bear in mind when storing chats from Microsoft Teams & Co. And how can you do it in a legally compliant way - without IT effort? In this article, you'll learn all about legal requirements, sensible deadlines and a simple solution for exporting your chats. Note: This article does not constitute legal advice.
Whether internal coordination, customer communication or the quick sharing of files - for many companies, tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack or WhatsApp have long since become the primary communication platform. And this is precisely where the challenge lies: what used to be documented in a structured form via email or in CRM systems is now hidden in chat histories, responses and shared attachments.
But how long may - or must - companies actually store such data? What legal obligations apply depending on the industry or country? And how can chats be archived in compliance with data protection regulations without losing track?
In this article, we clarify which retention periods for chat data are really relevant - and how companies can master the legal balancing act between documentation obligations and data protection.
Legal retention periods for business chat data
Chats have long been an integral part of corporate communication - whether via Microsoft Teams, Slack or WhatsApp Business. What used to be dealt with by email or letter now often takes place in chat messages - including offers, orders and invoices. This means that legal retention obligations apply to much of this content.
What applies in Germany?
In Germany, the German Commercial Code (HGB) and the Fiscal Code (AO) oblige companies to archive business-related documents - regardless of the medium. This means that chats are also considered business letters or accounting documents if they document business transactions.
The legal deadlines are:
- 10 years for accounting documents, invoices, annual financial statements, etc.
- 6 years for other business correspondence such as order confirmations or contract agreements
The period begins at the end of the calendar year of the respective communication.
When is a chat subject to retention?
Not every chat message needs to be archived. What matters is the content:
The following, for example, must be retained:
- Order agreements or contract amendments
- Invoices or payment confirmations
- Discussions with customers/suppliers about services or delivery dates
- Attachments such as PDFs, receipts or technical documents
Internal chats without tax or legal relevance are usually not subject to the obligation - unless they concern accounting or project management.
GDPR: Obligation to erase vs. obligation to retain
This creates an area of conflict: the GDPR requires that personal data should not be stored for longer than necessary. At the same time, the HGB and AO require archiving. The solution: Archive relevant chats in an audit-proof manner - and delete them securely once the deadline has expired.
What applies internationally?
In the USA, the obligation to preserve chats depends heavily on the industry. It is particularly strict in the financial sector, where violations can result in severe penalties. For other companies, archiving is primarily relevant in the context of potential legal disputes (e-discovery). The USA also has less stringent data protection deletion obligations than the EU.
Practical solution: How to archive Teams chats in a legally compliant manner
While WhatsApp now offers a native export function for chat histories - including text content and media - the situation is different with Microsoft Teams. Companies that want to export chats here and store them long-term quickly come up against technical and organisational limits.
But this is exactly where our tool comes in: the Microsoft Teams Chat Exporter.
With this specially developed tool, we enable companies to export individual and group chats in their entirety - including all attachments, images and documents. Whether to fulfil legal retention obligations, for internal documentation or as a backup as part of IT compliance: our tool offers a simple, secure and scalable solution.
Your advantages at a glance:
- Legally compliant archiving directly from Microsoft Teams
- Export complete call histories including attachments
- Intuitive operation - no specialised IT knowledge required
- Compatible with existing archiving processes
- Data remains local - no cloud dependency, full control & GDPR-compliant
With a fair price structure and flexible package sizes, the Teams Chat Exporter is suitable for both small companies and large organisations. No long-term subscription solution is necessary - the one-off investment offers long-term security.
Do you want your chat documentation to be legally compliant, efficient and future-proof? We support you - with pragmatic, GDPR-compliant solutions tailored to your IT structure. From the initial setup to the long-term archiving strategy: we accompany you step by step.
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