5 ms·

I usually wonder if they do that as well. In some cases it may be hard to depending on how data is stored. In vertica, a database I worked with would never trul

I usually wonder if they do that as well. In some cases it may be hard to depending on how data is stored. In vertica, a database I worked with would never truly delete data on disk.

delusional 2y ago
That seems like nonsense. Software cannot constrain the physical world. I could touch the bits on the drive itself, or I could physically destroy the hard-drive. Both would "truly delete" the data.
- dietr1ch 2y ago
  Good luck deleting data from my 5th backup drives that I didn't tell you about. It's not hard because destroying a hard drive is hard, it's hard because you need to find not one, but all of the drives that are likely replicated and distributed around the globe already if you ever intended to do business with that data.
  - post-it 2y ago
    It's not a technical problem to solve, it's a legal one. If there is a crushing penalty if data that was supposed to be deleted shows up one day, companies will find a way to delete it.
    - im3w1l 2y ago
      One issue I foresee is that you can't legislate bugs away.
      - post-it 2y ago
        A bug is just a mistake, and the legal system already deals with mistakes in a variety of ways.
      - okanat 2y ago
        Umm you can. You can force companies to pass their code through an examination (even by a third party) and define a procedure of ensuring strict data hygiene. If they cannot pass each year, they will be subject to fines.
Y-bar 2y ago
Only marking as “deleted” while indefinitely keeping it is illegal in the EU/EEA. The GDPR _requires_ a hard deletion in cases like this, but allows a grace period of a few weeks for the deletion to propagate throughout systems.
- adastra22 2y ago
  There are backup systems that are write-only. What’s to be done then?
  - dboreham 2y ago
    The acid bath.
  - post-it 2y ago
    It's imprudent to use technology that makes it impossible to comply with the law.
  - polskibus 2y ago
    You could replay this backup, and skip problematic record when writing new copy of the backup. Delete old backup. What’s important is to keep such log of „records to be deleted from backup”.
    - adastra22 2y ago
      That cost real money and requires literally throwing out the old backup (which may or may not be destroyable). Think optical media and stuff like that.
      - Y-bar 2y ago
        The GDPR was proposed and discussed in 2014, it was voted on in 2016, and went into effect in 2018. As 2025 is at the door, what excuses are there really to use a non-compliant tech stack when handling personal data?
    - 2y ago

I usually wonder if they do that as well. In some cases it may be hard to depending on how data is stored. In vertica, a database I worked with would never truly delete data on disk.

delusional 2y ago

That seems like nonsense. Software cannot constrain the physical world. I could touch the bits on the drive itself, or I could physically destroy the hard-drive. Both would "truly delete" the data.

dietr1ch 2y ago
Good luck deleting data from my 5th backup drives that I didn't tell you about. It's not hard because destroying a hard drive is hard, it's hard because you need to find not one, but all of the drives that are likely replicated and distributed around the globe already if you ever intended to do business with that data.
- post-it 2y ago
  It's not a technical problem to solve, it's a legal one. If there is a crushing penalty if data that was supposed to be deleted shows up one day, companies will find a way to delete it.
  - im3w1l 2y ago
    One issue I foresee is that you can't legislate bugs away.
    - post-it 2y ago
      A bug is just a mistake, and the legal system already deals with mistakes in a variety of ways.
    - okanat 2y ago
      Umm you can. You can force companies to pass their code through an examination (even by a third party) and define a procedure of ensuring strict data hygiene. If they cannot pass each year, they will be subject to fines.

Y-bar 2y ago

Only marking as “deleted” while indefinitely keeping it is illegal in the EU/EEA. The GDPR _requires_ a hard deletion in cases like this, but allows a grace period of a few weeks for the deletion to propagate throughout systems.

adastra22 2y ago
There are backup systems that are write-only. What’s to be done then?
- dboreham 2y ago
  The acid bath.
- post-it 2y ago
  It's imprudent to use technology that makes it impossible to comply with the law.
- polskibus 2y ago
  You could replay this backup, and skip problematic record when writing new copy of the backup. Delete old backup. What’s important is to keep such log of „records to be deleted from backup”.
  - adastra22 2y ago
    That cost real money and requires literally throwing out the old backup (which may or may not be destroyable). Think optical media and stuff like that.
    - Y-bar 2y ago
      The GDPR was proposed and discussed in 2014, it was voted on in 2016, and went into effect in 2018. As 2025 is at the door, what excuses are there really to use a non-compliant tech stack when handling personal data?
  - 2y ago