Delete Conversation Message (Legally required functionality)

[Alpha1]

Currently its not possible to delete a conversation message. (mind that this does not concern deleting conversations)
Just like its possible to delete a discussion message it should be possible to delete conversation messages.

This is useful in these situations:

1. a message contains rule breaches and is reported. For example the message contains an illegal offer with contact details included. There are various examples of this where the admin is bound by law to remove the content.
2. you regret what you tried to post, before the participant read it.
3. a browser quirk or user error causes multiple messages instead of one.

Especially in the first case there is no way to address the issue/report.

There also is the issue that already in some countries webmasters are legally required to remove such illegal content within 24 hours or another time frame. In some countries not complying to this may result in enormous fines. Even millions:
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/germany-bill-imposing-€50m-fine-for-failure-to-remove-online-hate-crime-fake-news-fast-enough.127827/

There is a similar suggestion here: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/ability-to-delete-individual-conversation-messages.118488/
But the specific scenario just makes no sense, is extremely niche and is not something many will vote for. On the contrary, I would vote against that scenario if I could. Additionally this suggestion is much wider in scope.

 

[swiftyste]

I agree with this what is a admin/ mods suppose to do when a report comes in & a user getting out of hand? lock convo punish other members for what 1 member did? There definitely needs to be delete conversation messages or at least hide conversation messages from other members.

 

[Harpers Tate]

Just a diagonal point here, though: IF your forum also sends an Email to the message recipient which contains the message text, then nothing you do on the forum to amend the message will affect such an Email.