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.

目前的云端删除机制在满足用户的各种删除需求方面存在不足。他们假设所有数据都以相同的方式被删除——数据在被完全删除之前会暂时从用户的云帐户中删除（或隐藏）。这种假设忽略了用户希望立即完全删除数据或希望在更长时间内恢复数据的偏好。迄今为止，尚未探索这些偏好。为了解决这一差距，我们对四组活跃的云用户（每组五个受试者）进行了参与式研究。我们检查了他们的删除偏好和帮助删除所需的信息。特别是，我们探讨了用户希望如何删除云数据，并确定他们认为必要的有关云删除的哪些信息，应该提供给他们的时间，以及应该使用的通信渠道。我们表明，云删除偏好是复杂且多维的，在主题和群体之间有所不同。有关删除的信息应在需要时触手可及，例如，作为删除控制的一部分。基于这些发现，我们讨论了我们的研究在改进当前删除机制以适应这些偏好方面的意义。