System and method for self-destructing messages

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device, performs a method comprising:

• receiving, over a network from a first user, a message addressed to an inbox associated with a second user, said message comprising message content and a time-to-live (TTL) restriction embedded within metadata of the message, said TTL restriction comprising a TTL flag indicating the message is being sent via short-lived (SL) protocol that enables said message to self-destruct in accordance with the TTL restriction, said TTL flag comprising first information restricting types of actions that can be performed on the message, the TTL flag further comprising second information indicating a number of times each action can be performed on the message before self-destruction;
• determining that the second user's message account hosting the inbox of said second user supports SL protocol;
• delivering, over the network, the message to the inbox of said second user;
• parsing said message to determine when said TTL restriction is satisfied, said parsing comprising parsing said metadata to identify the TTL flag;
• monitoring an environment to detect an event satisfying the first information or second information of said TTL flag;
• and
• causing, in response to said flag detection, deletion of said message from said second user inbox, said deletion causing data associated with the message to be deleted from said second user inbox as well as from a data location other than said second user inbox, when said TTL restriction expires.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
• receiving logic executed by the processor for receiving, over a network from a first user, a message addressed to an inbox associated with a second user, said message comprising message content and a time-to-live (TTL) restriction embedded within metadata of the message, said TTL restriction comprising a TTL flag indicating the message is being sent via short-lived (SL) protocol that enables said message to self-destruct in accordance with the TTL restriction, said TTL flag comprising first information restricting types of actions that can be performed on the message, the TTL flag further comprising second information indicating a number of times each actions can be performed on the message before self-destruction;
• determination logic executed by the processor for determining that the second user's message account hosting the inbox of said second user supports SL protocol;
• communication logic executed by the processor for delivering, over the network, the message to the inbox of said second user;
• parsing logic executed by the processor for parsing said message to determine when said TTL restriction is satisfied, said parsing comprising parsing said metadata to identify the TTL flag;
• monitoring logic executed by the processor for monitoring an environment to detect an event satisfying the first information or second information of said TTL flag;
• and
• deletion logic executed by the processor for causing, in response to said flag detection, deletion of said message from said second user inbox, said deletion causing data associated with the message to be deleted from said second user inbox as well as from a data location other than said second user inbox, when said TTL restriction expires.