Who holds the records for content published on a platform?¶

The platform usually holds the closest account and publishing records because its software processed the content action. The underlying host or cloud provider may know only the platform company.

Follow the application layer first¶

For a seller listing, profile, post or hosted page, the platform may record the content identifier, account, creation, edits, deletion, permissions, logins, messages, moderation, orders and payouts.

The cloud provider beneath it generally records the platform’s infrastructure account and resources. It may not distinguish millions of individual platform users.

This resembles a bank operating from a rented building: the landlord knows the bank rents the premises, while the bank holds customer transaction records.

Provide the exact URL, user or store identifier, content ID and time range. Deleted content, revision history and access logs may have different retention periods, so preservation can be important.

Separate the record holders for connected events. The platform may hold publication, a payment processor the beneficiary, an email service the communications and a device the evidence of personal use.