Deleted Files are Still Accessible in the Internet

I have read an interesting article that deletion of any file in the Internet is not entirely complete when the action of deletion is performed.

A research has been made about it and researchers from Cambridge University found out that almost half of the social networking sites do not instantly delete pictures whenever the user requests the files to be removed. In general, websites that are photo-centric such as Flickr were found to be faster in removing deleted pictures upon a user’s request.

We then ask why deleted photos are still accessible in the Internet. This is because of how the data are stored in large websites. Unlike your own computer, where you only have one or two copies of a file, large websites like Facebook rely on content distribution networks to manage data and distribution. Through this complex system, data is copied to multiple intermediate devices which allow speedier access to the files when millions of people try to use the service at the same time. Since the deletion is not reflected right away to all CDN, there are still ghost copies of files that will linger for days or even weeks.

That’s why when you don’t want any photos or files that you don’t want other people to see, better keep them secure in your own computer or simply don’t share or upload them to the Internet because trying to delete them is definitely a challenging proposition.

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Alfredo is a web designer, programmer and a search engine marketer from the Philippines. He is also an amateur photographer and loves to travel. He can be found on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Questions? Send him an email.