Feature Request: GDPR-Compliant Soft Delete with Format-Preserving Encryption

[a-abdellatif98]

Problem

While acts_as_paranoid provides excellent soft delete functionality, it doesn't fully address GDPR's "right to be forgotten" requirements. When users request data deletion under GDPR Article 17, simply marking records as deleted_at isn't sufficient because:

• Sensitive personal data remains readable in the database
• Compliance officers can't verify true data deletion
• Database backups still contain recoverable personal information
• Regulatory audits may flag readable "deleted" data as non-compliant

Proposed Solution

Integrate Format-Preserving Encryption (FF1) to encrypt sensitive columns during soft delete while maintaining data format and existing functionality.

Benefits

• True GDPR compliance
• Maintains data format for legacy systems
• Builds on existing acts_as_paranoid workflow
• Optional feature - doesn't affect existing users

Proposed Solution

Basic Usage

class User < ApplicationRecord
  acts_as_paranoid
  
  # New feature - specify columns to encrypt on soft delete
  paranoid_encrypt :email, :phone_number, :address
  paranoid_encrypt :ssn, :credit_card, mode: :irreversible
end

# Usage remains identical
user = User.find(1)
user.destroy  # Now encrypts sensitive data + sets deleted_at

# All existing scopes work unchanged
User.with_deleted    # Returns all records (encrypted data shows as encrypted)
User.only_deleted    # Returns soft-deleted records
User.without_deleted # Returns active records (default scope)

Advanced Configuration

class User < ApplicationRecord
  acts_as_paranoid
  
  # Fine-grained control
  paranoid_encrypt :email, :phone, 
                   mode: :irreversible,
                   key: ENV['GDPR_ENCRYPTION_KEY'],
                   context: ->(record) { "user_#{record.id}" }
end