The really invasive pattern-matches happen best retroactively at that scale.
Age of the data does not typically impact many such analyses.
There's a huge spectrum between your 'at most 30d' claim in another reply, and 'all data in perpetuity'.
30d is way too short. Perpetuity is probably the idealistic intent, and depending on storage costs over time this may be achievable.
> I suppose it demonstrates the difference in US and European perspectives on data.
How so? I described a the case of one UK-based company, and TFA is about one US-based company, both doing similar things.
> Most of what you describe has little meaning or use at a few months old.
Clearly this is not the case, as evinced by the actions of the people designing, building, operating, and maintaining these types of systems.
Most of what you describe has little meaning or use at a few months old. Sure you might want to collect detailed awareness of individual drivers over say a month, generic traffic patterns over six months, and little or nothing beyond.
Once the data has outlived that direct, primary, purpose you dispose of it or it's a famous, excessive, data breach waiting to happen. There is absolutely nothing wrong with only keeping billing data beyond say six months max.