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8 of 14|Obligations of Data Fiduciary
video 10 min•Data Management
Deletion
How to actually erase data securely.
🎯 Learning Objectives
- ▸ Understand the difference between soft delete and hard delete
- ▸ Implement secure data destruction
True Deletion
If a user requests erasure, and you simply hide their profile from the UI but keep the data in your database, you are in violation. True deletion involves purging the data from primary databases, backups, and caches.
📖 Glossary
- Soft Delete
- Marking data as deleted in the database without actually removing it.
- Hard Delete
- Permanently removing data from the database storage.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Deletion means the data is irrecoverable.
- Do not leave data in backup tapes forever.
- Use secure erasure tools.
📚 Further Reading
- DPDPA Section 12 — Government of India (2023)
Course Author
Shilpi Kulshrestha
Shilpi is a corporate lawyer with over a decade of experience in data protection, company law, and regulatory compliance. She has advised 50+ startups and enterprises on DPDPA readiness, privacy gover...