nondeletable

Nondeletable describes data or objects that are protected from deletion by design, policy, or configuration. The aim is to prevent accidental loss, maintain essential records, or comply with regulatory retention requirements.

Protection can be implemented at multiple layers. File systems offer immutable attributes or write-once policies; databases can enforce nondeletion via constraints or by marking records as deleted without removing them; applications may enforce locks or require elevated permissions. Cloud storage often provides retention or immutability options, such as write-once or retention locks for a fixed period.

Common use cases include system logs and configuration files, audit trails, legal holds in eDiscovery, and data retained for compliance. In practice, organizations balance nondeletability with the need to respond to data subject requests or privacy regulations.

Nondeletable data can accumulate, wasting storage and complicating privacy or data lifecycle management. Clear governance, defined exceptions, and audit trails are essential to prevent abuse and to document when and why deletions are permitted.

Examples include Linux files marked immutable with chattr +i; database soft deletes that preserve rows with a deleted flag; and cloud storage retention policies or Object Lock that prevent deletion during a retention period.