Once It's Online, It Can't Be Erased
"The internet never forgets" is a common saying. Photos posted on social media, blog articles, forum comments - even after pressing the delete button, they may not truly be gone. Why does the internet "never forget"?
The Wayback Machine - The Internet's Library
The "Wayback Machine," operated by the nonprofit Internet Archive, has been automatically saving web pages from around the world since 1996. Hundreds of billions of pages have been preserved.
This means the homepage you created 10 years ago or the blog post you deleted 5 years ago may still be saved in the Wayback Machine. Simply enter a URL to view a page as it appeared at a specific point in the past.
The Wayback Machine is widely used for legitimate purposes including academic research, journalism, and legal evidence preservation. On the other hand, it also creates the problem of "information that should have been deleted still being accessible."
Web Archives - A Unique Japanese Culture
Japan has a unique service called "Web Gyotaku" (web fish print). It's a service where users can save snapshots of any web page, primarily used for "evidence preservation."
- Taking a snapshot of controversial statements before they're deleted
- Preserving pages about corporate scandals before they're removed
- Recording price displays from online shops
The expression "having a gyotaku taken" is deeply rooted in Japanese internet culture.
Is "Deleting" on Social Media Really Deleting?
Even after deleting a social media post, information may persist for the following reasons. This mirrors how file deletion works on your own devices - as explained in what really happens when you delete a file, "deleting" rarely means the data is truly gone.
- Other users' screenshots: If someone took a screenshot, it can spread even after you delete the original
- Search engine cache: Google retains copies (caches) of web pages for a certain period. They may remain viewable from the cache for a while after deletion
- Service provider backups: Service providers may retain data backups for legal obligations or system reasons. Understanding how cloud storage handles your data helps explain why deletion requests don't always take immediate effect
- Shares and retweets: Once another user shares your post, copies remain even if you delete the original
The "Right to Be Forgotten" - A Legal Countermeasure
The EU's GDPR includes the "Right to be Forgotten." Individuals can request that search engines remove search results about them.
In 2014, the EU Court of Justice ordered Google to remove links from search results based on individual requests. Since then, Google has been accepting deletion requests from EU citizens, and by 2024, millions of URLs have been removed from search results.
However, this only removes links from search results - the original pages themselves are not deleted. They may still be accessible by entering the URL directly.
Where a Deleted Post Still Lives
Deleting a post or a page does not remove the copies. The table below lines up what is left where, who holds it, and whether you can remove it yourself.
| Where it remains | Who holds the copy | What remains | Can you remove it yourself? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wayback Machine | The nonprofit Internet Archive | Snapshots of the page as it appeared at past points in time, saved automatically since 1996 | Not easily. Only in cases such as rights violations or exposed personal data can you request removal or de-listing through the service's contact channels, and there is no guarantee the request succeeds |
| Web Gyotaku | The user who saved it | A snapshot of the page taken at a moment of that user's choosing, mainly for evidence preservation | Again, only a request under each service's own removal policy, and copies may survive on other services |
| Search engine cache | The search engine (Google and others) | A copy of the web page retained for a certain period | It may remain viewable from the cache for a while after you delete the original. The EU's GDPR lets you ask for links to be removed from search results, but the original page itself is not deleted |
| Other users' screenshots | Whoever took the screenshot | The content of the post frozen as an image | No. If someone took a screenshot, it can spread even after you delete the original |
| Shares and retweets | The other users who shared it | A copy as it stood at the moment it was shared | No. Once another user shares your post, copies remain even if you delete the original |
| Service provider backups | The social media operator | Data retained for legal obligations or system reasons | Server-side data management is an area users have little control over |
Protecting Yourself
- Think before posting: Use the standard of "would I be okay with this being seen 10 years from now?"
- Minimize personal information: Be cautious about sharing your real name, address, phone number, and employer
- Review privacy settings: Regularly review the visibility settings on your social media accounts
- Set up Google Alerts: Set up Google Alerts for your name to be notified when new information is published
The IP address you can check on IP Check-san is also recorded in website access logs. Your online activities are recorded more than you might think. To understand the full scope of the trail you leave behind, read our article on your digital footprint.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Wayback Machine?
The Wayback Machine is a digital archive run by the Internet Archive that has saved hundreds of billions of web pages since 1996. It periodically crawls and stores snapshots of websites, allowing anyone to view how a website looked at any point in the past.
Are social media posts truly deleted when I remove them?
Not necessarily. Even after you delete a post, copies may exist in search engine caches, web archives, screenshots taken by others, third-party services that aggregate social media, and the platform's own backup systems. Content shared publicly should be considered permanently accessible.
What is the Right to Be Forgotten?
The Right to Be Forgotten is a legal concept established by a 2014 EU court ruling that allows individuals to request search engines to remove links to outdated or irrelevant personal information. Google has processed millions of such requests, though the right must be balanced against public interest.
Can archived copies of a web page be deleted?
Not easily. Each archive service has its own removal policy, and you can generally only request deletion or de-listing through the service's contact channels in cases such as rights violations or exposed personal data. There is no guarantee a request will succeed, and copies may survive on other services.
Can web archives be used as evidence in court?
They can be submitted as evidence. However, because tampering is possible, their credibility is weighed case by case. Preserve captures in a form that clearly records the URL and timestamp, and reinforce them with screenshots or notarization where needed.
Summary
The Wayback Machine has preserved hundreds of billions of pages, web archives have created a culture of evidence preservation, and screenshots spread in an instant. The "delete button" is not all-powerful. Act on the assumption that information published on the internet may remain forever.