Forgotten But Not Gone

Abstract

Users have accumulated years of personal data in cloud storage, creating potential privacy and security risks. This agglomeration includes files retained or shared with others simply out of momentum, rather than intention. We presented 100 online-survey participants with a stratified sample of 10 files currently stored in their own Dropbox or Google Drive accounts. We asked about the origin of each file, whether the participant remembered that file was stored there, and, when applicable, about that file's sharing status. We also recorded participants' preferences moving forward for keeping, deleting, or encrypting those files, as well as adjusting sharing settings. Participants had forgotten that half of the files they saw were in the cloud. Overall, 83% of participants wanted to delete at least one file they saw, while 13% wanted to unshare at least one file. Our combined results suggest directions for retrospective cloud data management.

Reflections on the Unintended Consequences of the Science Reform Movement

“…Furthermore, large sets of data can be difficult to maintain and manage-or even remember. Khan et al (2018) determined that when researchers reviewed the study files they had stored in their cloud storage, more than 50% of the files were "forgotten" and 14% were unrecognizable. These results reveal the need for extensive training around perpetual data sharing requirements.…”