> just set a "deleted" flag in a database somewhere this has been a thing since the 1980s, at least. It's not new, and it's often important for auditing purpos

> just set a "deleted" flag in a database somewhere this has been a thing since the 1980s, at least. It's not new, and it's often important for auditing purposes and because mistakes happen. What's new is the ease with which databases can be accessed and hacked over a global public network. > Or an errant database migration isn't going to transfer it properly. Or the database will be leaked, and all of the "deleted" content will still be there Backups are a thing, you know. When you issue a delete command to your database it's not reaching back to time immemorial through the archives and ripping out those records. If we're playing what-ifs, then backup databases can just as easily be leaked.