I agree that a feature doesn't have to be 100% foolproof to be beneficial. I also agree that leaving sensitive things lying around "by default" is a poor approa

I agree that a feature doesn't have to be 100% foolproof to be beneficial. I also agree that leaving sensitive things lying around "by default" is a poor approach to security, and think that software should facilitate automated cleanup. However, I fundamentally object to the subversion of my will by my device or any program running on it. In my opinion, DRM in any form is not a solution - it in inherently evil. I wouldn't mind messages that were flagged for automatic deletion after some time interval, if I were also provided with controls for when and when not to honor such requests. But currently Signal, SnapChat, Keybase, and others don't provide me with such a choice - they do what the sender requested, regardless of whether or not I approve. It goes without saying that providing such an easily accessible option would almost certainly result in it being used at times in socially inappropriate or distasteful ways. But consider, do you really want to give up control of how your device behaves in an attempt to prevent others from behaving poorly? Perhaps applications should focus on providing practical security (ie facilitating, not forcing, automated removal), and leave the social aspects up to the humans to sort out.