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PM_ME_A_PLANE_TICKET t1_j24ux3s wrote

I think it's important that you understand that deleting something never truly deletes it.

Whenever some data is stored on a drive, it is stored in a specific location, along with a digital post-it note on it that says "This space is occupied, I'm here."

When you delete something (fully delete, removed from trash, completely gone as far as you can tell) it is not deleted at all. All that happens is that post-it note is switched from occupied to unoccupied.

Then the computer thinks nothing is there and it's allowed to overwrite what is/was there.

It's not actually gone until it has been overwritten, and up until that point, it can be recovered by forensic software.

Google says that deleted emails may take up to 60 days to be completely removed from their servers.

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PD_31 t1_j269f1u wrote

There's likely still a copy in the sender's sent items folder, unless they routinely empty that.

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