Live data from Hacker News

Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

blog.mozilla.org

11–20 of 210 posts

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#11
post #7

I have an Instagram account that I no longer own the e-mail or recovery phone number for. I have the password for it but every time I try to log in I get a ‘suspicious login’ warning and have to verify with said phone number. I want it gone but I cannot delete it. Loathe as I am I would even be willing to provide government ID. Instagram literally has no contactable support if you aren’t a massive account (200k+ foll…

I feel the same way with the contact ability. Companies should have a human contact opportunity by law.

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#12
post #2

Edit, Link should be https://justdeleteme.xyz/

I'm not sure why one would use this "backgroundchecks" redirection link, which just appears to add ads to the top of the page. The actual site is https://justdeleteme.xyz/

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#13
post #7

I have an Instagram account that I no longer own the e-mail or recovery phone number for. I have the password for it but every time I try to log in I get a ‘suspicious login’ warning and have to verify with said phone number. I want it gone but I cannot delete it. Loathe as I am I would even be willing to provide government ID. Instagram literally has no contactable support if you aren’t a massive account (200k+ foll…

You don't need a lawyer to send a standard "right to erasure" GDPR request and they are required to respond within 30 days: https://gdpr.eu/right-to-erasure-request-form/

This should work.

The automated ID verification might fail for a variety of reasons (frankly if they don’t originally have a copy I’m not sure what they’d be comparing it to) but the GDPR process should work if you fight long enough. You might need to prove that you owned the email or number though - email might be tricky but number is easier as you can submit a bill or do another subject access request to your provider which should still have records about it.

Good luck!

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#14

I'd much rather they figured out how to fix their sync service - or at least let me actually delete everything on it and start again! I still get temporary containers coming back months after I have deleted them!

firefox containers is both the killer feature of firefox for me (I can't leave it) and also the jankyest. I don't think mozilla knows they have gold on their hands (but do they ever know?). I lived through the firefox extension debacle in 2019 or so when FF accidentally let a cert expire and it helpfully uninstalled all my "unverified" extensions, of which container tabs was one. When everything was fixed, my setting…

I suspect that Mozilla looks at the telemetry and very few people use containers. I'd guess because users don't understand what they're good for. Perhaps you, an enthusiastic user, could do a little writeup somewhere (here?) on why they are the cat's meow.

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#16
post #11
post #7

I have an Instagram account that I no longer own the e-mail or recovery phone number for. I have the password for it but every time I try to log in I get a ‘suspicious login’ warning and have to verify with said phone number. I want it gone but I cannot delete it. Loathe as I am I would even be willing to provide government ID. Instagram literally has no contactable support if you aren’t a massive account (200k+ foll…

I feel the same way with the contact ability. Companies should have a human contact opportunity by law.

they’ll just make you wait an hour and hang up on you like my health insurance company does, unfortunately you can’t mandate good service

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#17
I've been looking for a similar solution for deleting Facebook, though one with a checklist of "don't forget these things you want to keep."

Edit: I'd even pay >$100 just for a ZIP of "everything you might regret deleting." The connections are valueless at this point, but the pictures and my mom's priceless comments on them not so much.

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#19
post #7

I have an Instagram account that I no longer own the e-mail or recovery phone number for. I have the password for it but every time I try to log in I get a ‘suspicious login’ warning and have to verify with said phone number. I want it gone but I cannot delete it. Loathe as I am I would even be willing to provide government ID. Instagram literally has no contactable support if you aren’t a massive account (200k+ foll…

You don't need a lawyer to send a standard "right to erasure" GDPR request and they are required to respond within 30 days: https://gdpr.eu/right-to-erasure-request-form/

Yes, but here comes the problem: where would I send this request? Instagram notes no public facing physical address for my country and their support e-mail just sends back automated replies.

Re: Internet spring cleaning: How to delete Instagram, Facebook and other accounts

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

firefox containers is both the killer feature of firefox for me (I can't leave it) and also the jankyest. I don't think mozilla knows they have gold on their hands (but do they ever know?). I lived through the firefox extension debacle in 2019 or so when FF accidentally let a cert expire and it helpfully uninstalled all my "unverified" extensions, of which container tabs was one. When everything was fixed, my setting…

I suspect that Mozilla looks at the telemetry and very few people use containers. I'd guess because users don't understand what they're good for. Perhaps you, an enthusiastic user, could do a little writeup somewhere (here?) on why they are the cat's meow.

I agree, very few people are able to properly understand and manage containers.

For mosts it should be easier and more intuitive to use Firefox with First Party Isolation enabled.

The mental gymnastics of container management becomes superfluous, and there is minimal risk of leaking data by mistake.

Post reply on HN