In the context of PHP web development, what are the recommended approaches for implementing data deletion functionality securely and efficiently?

When implementing data deletion functionality in PHP web development, it is crucial to ensure that the process is secure to prevent unauthorized access or accidental data loss. One recommended approach is to use prepared statements with parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Additionally, it is important to implement proper authentication and authorization checks before allowing a user to delete data from the database.

<?php
// Assuming $conn is the database connection

if(isset($_POST['delete_id'])) {
    $delete_id = $_POST['delete_id'];
    
    // Perform authentication and authorization checks here
    
    $stmt = $conn->prepare("DELETE FROM table_name WHERE id = ?");
    $stmt->bind_param("i", $delete_id);
    
    if($stmt->execute()) {
        echo "Data deleted successfully";
    } else {
        echo "Error deleting data";
    }
    
    $stmt->close();
}

$conn->close();
?>