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Explained in plain English

Where do deleted files go?

When you delete a file, your device does not actually erase it straight away. It simply marks that space as free to use over. Until new data overwrites it, the old bits remain sitting quietly in storage. This digital clutter piles up across servers globally, quietly increasing the heavy environmental and financial costs of our internet infrastructure.

Stories that explain this

Snapchat to stop recommending fully AI-generated videos on its feed

Questions this opens up

Can deleted data be recovered? What happens to abandoned websites? How long do servers last?

This explainer came from a news story

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