Event translation transcript retention starts with a purpose and an owner for each copy, rather than a standard number of days. Before the event, decide which records you need, who may receive them and who will check that retention and deletion decisions are carried out.
For Hong Kong organisers, the Government’s explanation of the privacy principles links personal-data retention to the purpose for which the data is needed; it does not prescribe one uniform retention period. The appropriate decision can also depend on other obligations, so a worksheet is an organising aid, not a legal compliance certificate.1
Start with a record inventory
A live caption, a saved source transcript and an edited summary serve different purposes. List the records your chosen setup actually creates before promising an export or deletion feature.
| Record | Decision to make | Copy to locate |
|---|---|---|
| Source transcript | Who checks names and meaning? | Service and downloaded files |
| Translated transcript | Which language versions are needed? | Each exported language |
| Summary or minutes draft | Who approves the final wording? | Draft and distributed versions |
| Shared page or attachment | Who is allowed to receive it? | Link, mailbox or shared drive |
| Audio or video | Is a separate recording being made? | Meeting platform or recorder |
These are planning categories, not features that every provider offers. A translation service’s audio practice does not tell you whether the meeting host is recording elsewhere. Keep language preparation separate: the event glossary worksheet handles terminology rather than record disposal.
Agree access before sending files
Suggested questions for the event owner:
- What is each record for: checking a decision, preparing an approved summary, or another stated task?
- Which named role needs the full text, and which only needs the approved output?
- Where may recipients save it, and who approves further distribution?
- Who receives a request to correct, access or remove information?
Tell speakers and participants what your arrangement involves, using the notice and consent process appropriate to the event. Do not treat entering a translation room as permission for every later publication. The Government’s explanation also distinguishes the original or directly related purpose from a new use of personal data.1
Copy this retention decision sheet
Use one sheet per record and storage location. Leave an unknown field as not confirmed instead of borrowing a retention period from another organisation.
| Field | Fill in for this copy |
|---|---|
| Record, language and version | ___ |
| Purpose and responsible owner | ___ |
| Authorised recipients and location | ___ |
| Retention reason and review date | ___ |
| Approved deletion date or review trigger | ___ |
| Required exception or hold; approver | ___ |
| Action, person and completion date | ___ |
| Check performed and unresolved copies | ___ |
As an illustrative workflow, an organiser might retain a working translation while a named reviewer prepares an approved follow-up note. At the agreed review point, the owner decides whether the full translation is still needed and records the reason. This is a proposed process, not a real customer example or a recommended fixed retention period.
Ask what “delete” covers
Before selecting a service, ask for a written answer covering saved transcripts, summaries, shared pages, downloaded files and any processor or backup copies relevant to your event. Also ask who can perform each action, how long completion takes and what confirmation is available.
Use precise status labels in your own sheet:
- Access removed: the named recipient can no longer open that route.
- Deletion requested: an owner or supplier has been asked to act.
- Deletion confirmed: the stated action has been confirmed for a specified copy.
- Unresolved: the scope or outcome remains unknown.
Hiding an event from a list or disabling a link is not, by itself, evidence that every copy has been erased. Likewise, deleting a service copy does not establish what happened to an attachment already downloaded by a recipient. Record the scope of each confirmation; do not mark the entire event complete on the strength of one screen change.
What a Hong Kong organiser should confirm
The tlive workflow describes source text, translation and summary downloads after a session.2 Its published privacy policy describes transcript storage and organiser responsibilities, but gives no fixed event-transcript retention schedule.3 Check the current arrangement with the service before adopting it for a retention-sensitive event. This article reviews published information and proposes a worksheet; it does not report a live deletion test.
For material requiring verified human interpretation, use a qualified interpreter and agree records handling separately. The event translation comparison helps choose the delivery method; the worksheet here helps decide what happens to the resulting records.
Sources checked 28 October 2026. The Government explanation below was published in 2016; it is background to the worksheet, not an event-specific legal opinion. Confirm any legal or contractual retention requirement with the responsible adviser.