DelStandard

Delstandard is a proposed standard for data deletion workflows in distributed information systems. It aims to provide a common vocabulary, data model, and protocol to request, validate, and execute deletions across diverse services while clarifying the distinction between hard deletes (physical removal) and soft deletes (logical deletion) and aligning with retention policies and audit requirements.

Core concepts define a lightweight data model and lifecycle. A deletion request includes resource identifiers, a unique delete_request_id, policy_id, timestamps, requester identity, and optional justification. Status values typically include pending, approved, executed, completed, and failed. The standard emphasizes idempotent operations, clear ownership, and traceable audit logs to support compliance and forensics. It also accounts for retention contexts, backups, and data re-creation constraints.

The protocol aspect describes API interactions to initiate, monitor, and finalize deletions. Typical flows involve creating a delete request, obtaining authorization, syncing status across participating services, and confirming execution. Interfaces are designed to be RESTful or message-driven, with secure transport and cryptographic signing where appropriate. The design supports interoperability across public clouds, on-premises systems, and data stores with varying deletion semantics.

Governance and adoption notes describe the DelStandard Alliance or equivalent body overseeing the specification, publication cadence, and compatibility with related privacy and data management standards. Early implementations emphasize interoperability testing, policy alignment, and interoperability tooling, while recognizing real-world constraints such as backups, replication, and diverse data stores.

Criticism centers on added complexity, potential performance overhead, and partial applicability in heterogeneous environments. Delstandard remains an emerging concept with limited universal adoption, but it is cited in discussions of privacy-by-design and data lifecycle management. See also privacy regulations, data erasure, and data retention standards.