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2 of 3|Data Governance
reading 15 min•Data Inventory
Metadata Management
Data about data.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- ▸ Understand the concept of metadata
- ▸ Learn how metadata aids compliance
What is Metadata?
If a document is data, the metadata is the file properties: who created it, when it was created, when it was last modified, and what tags are associated with it.
In the context of DPDPA, metadata is crucial. For example, if you have a database of customer complaints, the metadata might include the "date of consent" or "retention expiry date." This helps you automate deletion when the retention period ends.
📖 Glossary
- Metadata
- Data that provides information about other data.
- Data Lineage
- The lifecycle of data, tracking its origin, movement, and transformation over time.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Metadata is "data about data."
- It includes creation dates, author, format, and retention periods.
- Strong metadata management improves data searchability and compliance.
📚 Further Reading
- Data Governance Framework — DAMA International (2017)
Course Author
Shilpi Kulshrestha
Shilpi is a corporate lawyer with over a decade of experience in data protection, company law, and regulatory compliance. She has advised 50+ startups and enterprises on DPDPA readiness, privacy gover...