A method for conducting an imperative removal of at least one data record among peers participating in a blockchain system, wherein each peer has its own copy of a blockchain in the blockchain system and a designated data storage system, the method comprising: depositing, by at least one of the peers, the at least one data record to its designated data storage system; storing, by each of the peers, a cryptographic hashing pointer as a data item in a first block of its own copy of the blockchain, the pointer pointing to the data record in its designated data storage system; receiving, by one of the peers, an instruction to delete the at least one data record, in response to receiving the instruction to delete the at least one data record: storing, by the one of the peers, a deletion item in a second block of its own copy of the blockchain, the deletion item indicating that the at least one data record is marked for deletion from its designated data storage system; issuing, by the one of the peers, a command to delete the at least one data record from its designated data storage system; and broadcasting, by the one of the peers, the change in its own copy of the blockchain to each of the other peers; storing, by each of the other peers, a deletion item in a second block of its own copy of the blockchain, the deletion item indicating that the at least one data record is marked for deletion from its designated data storage system; issuing, by each of the other peers, a delete-confirmed message to the one of the peers after the at least one data record has been deleted from its designated data storage system; and storing, by the one of the peers, a removal record data item in a third block of its own copy of the blockchain upon receiving all delete-confirmed messages, the removal record indicating that the at least one data record existed before but is no longer available in its designated data storage system. depositing, by at least one of the peers, the at least one data record to its designated data storage system; storing, by each of the peers, a cryptographic hashing pointer as a data item in a first block of its own copy of the blockchain, the pointer pointing to the data record in its designated data storage system; receiving, by one of the peers, an instruction to delete the at least one data record, in response to receiving the instruction to delete the at least one data record: storing, by the one of the peers, a deletion item in a second block of its own copy of the blockchain, the deletion item indicating that the at least one data record is marked for deletion from its designated data storage system; issuing, by the one of the peers, a command to delete the at least one data record from its designated data storage system; and broadcasting, by the one of the peers, the change in its own copy of the blockchain to each of the other peers; storing, by the one of the peers, a deletion item in a second block of its own copy of the blockchain, the deletion item indicating that the at least one data record is marked for deletion from its designated data storage system; issuing, by the one of the peers, a command to delete the at least one data record from its designated data storage system; and broadcasting, by the one of the peers, the change in its own copy of the blockchain to each of the other peers; storing, by each of the other peers, a deletion item in a second block of its own copy of the blockchain, the deletion item indicating that the at least one data record is marked for deletion from its designated data storage system; issuing, by each of the other peers, a delete-confirmed message to the one of the peers after the at least one data record has been deleted from its designated data storage system; and storing, by the one of the peers, a removal record data item in a third block of its own copy of the blockchain upon receiving all delete-confirmed messages, the removal record indicating that the at least one data record existed before but is no longer available in its designated data storage system.