What Users Want From Cloud Deletion and the Information They Need: A Participatory Action Study

Current cloud deletion mechanisms fall short in meeting users’ various deletion needs. They assume all data is deleted the same way—data is temporally removed (or hidden) from users’ cloud accounts before being completely deleted. This assumption neglects users’ desire to have data completely deleted instantly or their preference to have it recoverable for a more extended period. To date, these preferences have not been explored. To address this gap, we conducted a participatory study with four groups of active cloud users (five subjects per group). We examined their deletion preferences and the information they require to aid deletion. In particular, we explored how users want to delete cloud data and identify what information about cloud deletion they consider essential, the time it should be made available to them, and the communication channel that should be used. We show that cloud deletion preferences are complex and multi-dimensional, varying between subjects and groups. Information about deletion should be within reach when needed, for instance, be part of deletion controls. Based on these findings, we discuss the implications of our study in improving the current deletion mechanism to accommodate these preferences.