Is that it? Are you done with using Facebook? Has the social giant taken over your life and you are looking forward to get rid of it? If the answer is YES, this article will help your cause. You would be able to delete your Facebook account or, for that matter, deactivate it by following the succeeding steps:
How to deactivate your Facebook account?
Always remember that there’s a difference between deactivating and deleting an account. Facebook also gives you two options to select from. Once you opt to deactivate, your account goes numb which means that there is always a room for you to comeback and join the social network.
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If you are to deactivate from desktop, follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Settings’ from the drop-down menu
- Click ‘General’ on the top left
- Edit next to ‘Manage Account’
- Scroll down all the way until you see ‘deactivate your account’ at the bottom
You can also use the direct link while you are logged in.
Android and iOS users can deactivate their Facebook account by going through these steps:
Tap your Facebook app from the device > go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Settings > Personal Information > Manage Account > Deactivate
Once you deactivate your Facebook account, it will disappear and your friends won’t be able to contact you. However, it is noteworthy to mention that Facebook doesn’t delete your account and the reason is that you can reactivate it sometime later.
If comeback is not your cup of tea, then you should (if you want to) get a copy of all your data on Facebook. You can get hold of it from the settings menu and you will be sent your posts, images, videos, chats etc.
How to delete your Facebook account?
You need to head to THIS LINK to delete your account for good. However, it is nice to be aware of Facebook data use policy which reads:
“After you remove information from your profile or delete your account, copies of that information may remain viewable elsewhere to the extent it has been shared with others, it was otherwise distributed pursuant to your privacy settings, or it was copied or stored by other users”
The aforementioned quote means that if you have ever commented on your friend’s status or photo, your comment will stay even after your delete your profile. Moreover, some of your posts or images may still be there for as long as 90 days even after deletion. Nonetheless, they will be on the Facebook servers only and not elsewhere.
Facebook doesn’t immediately delete your account even if you opt for it. It has a grace period of 30 days which means that even after you request to delete your account, Facebook gives you some 30 days just in case you change your mind. That is Facebook’s way of exhibiting that it cares.
Quick Read: Facebook seeking for a billion dollar venture capital for its crypto project
How to delete Facebook account on behalf of someone else
If you know a user who is under 13 and you would want to notify Facebook about it, report the account. Thereafter, if Facebook can ‘verify that account with a solid reason’ that the account is being used by someone under 13 then Facebook will instantly delete the account itself without telling anyone about it.
Facebook doesn’t permit under 13 users to use the platform as it complies with the Federal Law.
Those who are medically incapacitated, there is a separate form for them for the removal of account. Anyone who asks for the deletion of any such person will have to prove his/her identity to Facebook. Moreover, an official letter from doctor or any medical facility will also be required.
In case a Facebook user is passed away, there’s an option of legacy contact. Essentially, legacy contact is someone who gets some authority from the deceased account owner so that s/he can get access to the timeline of that person after Facebook approves it. The legacy contact will have to provide documentation such as death certificate and Facebook will either memorialize the page or remove it altogether.
A user can elect a legacy contact by going to Settings > General > Manage Account > Your Legacy Contact. After a user selects someone, Facebook will notify the account owner every year to double check whether the ‘selected’ legacy contact should remain same or be changed. Facebook also lets the users to select if the account should be deleted permanently after the actual owner dies; and legacy contact informs Facebook about the same as deceased. Later, even if legacy contact wants the deceased’s timeline to be memorialized, Facebook will still delete the account (if the account owner had already chosen his/her account to be deleted after his/her demise).
Images Source: Pcmag