How to permanently delete your Facebook account • Hacker News Board

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#11

Post by maxehmookau » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:12 AM UTC

bserge wrote: post #6

Their definition of taking a break is strange. Just don't visit Facebook lol Also, are they still doing the shadow profiles thing where they create "accounts" for your name in order to entice other people to join Facebook? And if you join, people you might know are conveniently already waiting for you. That always seemed shady as hell.

It's the same language used by gambling companies. "Take a break" rather than "Break your cycle of addiction by leaving us for good".

Not entirely surprising.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#12

Post by burnt_toast » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:16 AM UTC

I recently shut down a small business and have been having nothing but trouble trying to remove it's presence online.

Facebook made me wait two weeks before giving me the option to delete it and now it's just stuck on "deleting". Bing emails me weekly saying I need to update my listing yet I've tried 3 times to mark it as closed to no avail.

The only one I've been able to remove it from has been Google so far. It's quite frustrating.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#13

Post by black_13 » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:17 AM UTC

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_be_forgotten I wish this was something that was a universal right. Not just for social media but truly have a right to privacy.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#14

Post by martin_a » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:18 AM UTC

0x_rs wrote: post #9

I wish there was a way to do so without having to ask people you haven't seen or met for more than a decade (if they can even still access) to verify that it is indeed you trying to access with the same mail an account that's been sitting for way too long still. I understand the possible risk and inconvenience, but I can't be alone being struck with an account like that. Hell, I'm too afraid to even see if it's publi…

Well, I think you've done everything you can. The GDPR requires a response from the data handler in a timely manner. If Facebook fails to do so, for whatever reason, you're free to contact your privacy/data regulation authorities.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#15

Post by shadowfaxRodeo » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:19 AM UTC

I got rid of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp about 4 years ago. Facebook and Instagram was easy, but people who have WhatsApp really think you’re weird for not having it.

Deleting WhatsApp, while annoying for me personally, has resulted in many people I know joining Signal or Telegram — the network effect can be broken by being belligerent.

If you don’t want to have a conversation about why you deleted WhatsApp, simply say it’s a moral issue, nobody wants to know.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#16

Post by markx2 » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:19 AM UTC

bserge wrote: post #6

Their definition of taking a break is strange. Just don't visit Facebook lol Also, are they still doing the shadow profiles thing where they create "accounts" for your name in order to entice other people to join Facebook? And if you join, people you might know are conveniently already waiting for you. That always seemed shady as hell.

You don't need to visit facebook, you just need to visit a page that has their script embedded.

nextdns.io does a good job of blocking facebook. They base their block on https://github.com/jmdugan/blocklists which has this list https://github.com/jmdugan/blocklists/blob/master/corporatio...

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#17

Post by bennyp101 » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:21 AM UTC

_ttg wrote: post #10

Faster shortcuts: https://deletefacebook.com/ https://deleteinstagram.com/ It's probably by design, but from experience most people will need non-trivial discipline/hacks to get around the 30 day window and avoid reflexively logging in. Would be curious to know how many people who try deleting their accounts follow through to the end

I deleted mine 3 or 4 years ago, and I did end up logging in a couple of times during that 30 day window - "Oh, I'll just have a quick look at those wedding photos" or "I want to go on that trip so I best keep it logged in for that" kind of thing - purely instinctive at the time to find that info.

I imagine if you are hooked on the whole 'social interaction' thing, the 30 day sliding window is ... unhelpful.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#18

Post by dotancohen » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:21 AM UTC

bborud wrote: post #7

I think it should be a legal requirement that users are able to configure retention of their data. For instance that any content you post will only be retained for N number of weeks/ months/years. And that social media platforms over a certain size have to agree to auditing to ensure that this data is actually deleted.

As someone who implements these types of requirements, this suggestion just adds complexity where none is needed. In the software, and the database, and the backup strategy, and for the average user. Complexity requires time, money, and introduces bugs and user error.

Right now we are required by law to remove user data upon request (Europe). That law is strong enough to cover those who need it.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#19

Post by jb1991 » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:22 AM UTC

_ttg wrote: post #10

Faster shortcuts: https://deletefacebook.com/ https://deleteinstagram.com/ It's probably by design, but from experience most people will need non-trivial discipline/hacks to get around the 30 day window and avoid reflexively logging in. Would be curious to know how many people who try deleting their accounts follow through to the end

I deleted mine 2 years ago, and definitely followed through on it. Once it was done, it was absolutely zero problem to have it out of my life. The only thing I’m curious about though, is what would happen if I try to login again. I’m terrified to even try, for fear that somehow it wasn’t actually deleted even though that’s exactly what I did.

Update: I decided to finally try logging in and thankfully it said it could not locate an account under my email. So I guess that's a good thing. I do wonder if it triggered something else though, just by my trying to login.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#20

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 10:23 AM UTC

bborud wrote: post #7

I think it should be a legal requirement that users are able to configure retention of their data. For instance that any content you post will only be retained for N number of weeks/ months/years. And that social media platforms over a certain size have to agree to auditing to ensure that this data is actually deleted.

[deleted]