In the control panel, its quite clear, and easy to simply check scrub on. I agree that this change on the API front should have been articulated. However, Moisey acknowledge their mistake, let's move past it.
There are many ways to securely scrub an SSD without subjecting it to a full write. They were outlined in the original thread.
They've leaked customer data between VMs. Their claims that this isn't true are false. Look at the screenshots!
This is a profound, never-ever-should-happen gap in data security, and it is yet another instance where DigitalOcean comes out looking remarkably amateurish.
Conversationally, I would have expected their hypervisor to have been doing thin provisioning: That until you write data to a block the block is 0s (having no provisioning on actual storage). And if you write 0s, that too isn't actually provisioned on real storage. And when you write actual data, well that is what the block now contains.
Unless they do not care if their data is shared, and would be willing to let it be shared for a reduced cost.
That is a dishonest angle. It is not in any way how this has been sold. Further you don't get a discount for choosing not to scrub, but instead essentially get tricked into it by the magical law of defaults.