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Does a M365 retention policy with retain/delete prevent complete deletion?
What happens to emails when (a) an active Microsoft 365 retention policy, with a setting of 'retain then delete' after a given period, is still active on the mailbox, and (b) an end-user empties the ...
That's indeed the case. Users cannot access any content held within the Purges or DiscoveryHolds folder, where such items are kept for the duration of the retention period. Such items are only accessible via content search/eDiscovery.
That is an interesting question, and not a scenario I have specifically tested, but I would imagine that the principal of "retention wins over deletion" would continue to apply. So when emptying the recoverable items folder I don't believe the "copy" could be deleted. In fact, and I'd have to double check this, but I'm pretty certain that despite the copy residing in the recoverable items folder, that it does so in a folder which is hidden and inaccessible to the user.
PeterRising thanks Peter, it's good to have this confirmed. The question started with 'delete after n period of time' with MRM tags but it then became a question of exactly which subfolder in the Recoverable Items folder the 'purged' (by end users) items went to.