> I wonder if a GDPR nation has made a ruling on the extent of data erasure?

My understanding (based on a couple random conversations, take it with a grain of salt) is that at least some entities are taking the sheer difficulty of true compliance with the letter of the law to imply that softer deletion methods have to be reasonably acceptable, and their stance is basically "if you disagree, well, take us to court and we'll figure it out."