Databases utilize BLOBs (Binary Large Objects) to store large chunks of data. This data is often a picture, video, or audio file, but this is NOT a requirement. Because this data isn�t defined in the database, it can contain any and everything an app developer desires, so it is becoming commonplace to store text in these fields because it is an area that is often overlooked.

For this reason, many of the self-destructing or secure chat applications are using BLOBs to store important content, even content that they claim has �disappeared.�