Generally speaking, in the United States, a party is obligated to take reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or modification of data in its possession that it reasonably should know, is relevant to an anticipated litigation or government investigation.
In the United States, a party is indeed obligated to take reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or modification of data in its possession that it reasonably should know is relevant to an anticipated litigation or government investigation. This is a widely recognized legal principle known as the duty to preserve evidence. Failure to do so can result in legal consequences such as spoliation sanctions or adverse inferences against the party neglecting this duty.
3.1.3.4 Preservation of Security Guidance V4 - "litigation hold"
B. True In the United States, it is generally true that a party is obligated to take reasonable steps to prevent the destruction or modification of data in its possession that it reasonably should know is relevant to an anticipated litigation or government investigation. This legal concept is known as the duty to preserve evidence or the duty to preserve relevant information, and it applies to various legal proceedings, including litigation and regulatory investigations. Failure to preserve relevant data could result in legal consequences such as spoliation sanctions or adverse inferences against the party not fulfilling their preservation duty.