Without lifecycle policies, data in OCI Object Storage remains in the default storage tier indefinitely—even if it is rarely accessed. This can lead to growing costs from unneeded or rarely accessed data that could be expired or transitioned to lower-cost tiers like Archive Storage.
OCI Object Storage buckets accrue charges based on data volume stored, even if no activity has occurred. Buckets that haven't been read from or written to in months may contain outdated data or artifacts from discontinued projects.