How San Francisco purged scores of records requests that were available to the public

In late February 2025, a Bay City News reporter discovered a drastic decrease in records visible on the NextRequest system, plummeting from around 40,000 to 13,297. Following inquiries, the Department of Technology disclosed that a purge had occurred on May 1 due to a newly adopted data retention policy. This policy, communicated via a March 21 memo, allows for monthly deletions of unexempted records, with departmental notifications sent ahead of time. However, the purge has drawn criticism for lacking approval from the Committee on Information Technology, which oversees such data management policies. The chair of the task force responsible for data oversight expressed surprise at the purge, stating they were not informed prior.

Local regulations require mayoral approval for record deletions, which was not obtained in this case. San Francisco's Administrative Code stipulates that destruction of records must not defeat public purpose, a point that remains contentious in light of this purge. The Department of Technology asserts that this action falls under system configuration, sidestepping the need for broader policy adherence.