Question

How does deletion and suppression work in Segment via the Regulations API? What is the scope, how long does it take, and is data deleted in downstream destinations?

Product

Segment, Privacy / Regulations API

Environment

Segment Console

Answer

The Regulations API allows you to delete and suppress user data in Segment. Here is how it works:

Scope

Regulations can be created at two levels:

• Workspace regulations apply across your entire workspace and affect all sources
• Source regulations can be scoped to an individual source using the createSourceRegulation endpoint in the Segment Public API

Regulations are keyed by userId. This means suppression and deletion target data associated with a specific userId value.

What SUPPRESS_WITH_DELETE does

• Suppresses new incoming data for that userId, preventing it from being processed going forward
• Deletes existing data associated with that userId, including Segment’s internal archives

Timing

Suppression typically processes within 24 hours, but can take up to 30 days to complete. There is no guaranteed immediate or prompt deletion.

Downstream destinations

Segment forwards deletion requests to supported downstream tools, but does not guarantee that deletion occurs in those tools. Each destination partner is responsible for processing deletion requests on their side according to their own policies and timelines.

If you require confirmation that data has been deleted in a specific destination, you will need to contact that vendor directly.

Data retention

Separately from the Regulations API, data retention periods can be configured under Privacy → Settings → Data Retention in the Segment console.

Additional Information