How to permanently delete your Facebook account • Hacker News Board

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#141

Post by mrweasel » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:43 PM UTC

hnlmorg wrote: post #72

zionic wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is so strange, no one in my social circle uses WhatsApp or has ever asked me to use it to talk to them. It’s all iMessage, Snapchat, and a growing group of people on Signal.

Messaging clients tend to be regional. WhatsApp is massive in Europe. From what I gather WeChat is dominant in mainland China but Hong Kong still used WhatsApp (though I think they might be coming round to Signal?) and the US, who have a higher ratio of Apple users vs the rest of the world, tend to use iMessage a lot more.

> WhatsApp is massive in Europe.

You're completely right that messaging clients is regional, but it's even more regional than just "Europe". I'm always confused when people claim that WhatsApp is huge in Europe, because I know literally only two people who use it. They only use WhatsApp because they have friends outside Europe.

I think we need to think in terms of single countries when talking messaging apps. Again take WhatsApp. Pretty big in Germany and Spain, but almost non-existing in Denmark (who instead rely more on Facebook Messenger or iMessage).

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#142

Post by Sosh101 » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:45 PM UTC

tut-urut-utut wrote: post #88

malka wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think it would be unreasonable for me to demand that a shop I buy from delete the record of who purchased it. Why ? for recent transaction, they need to keep it for tax purposes but they have no legal need to keep old records.

In some countries, they need to keep it for 10 years for tax and audit reasons. I wouldn't call 10 years "recent transactions". Heck, for most of the online shops, it's more like "forever".

Which countries?

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#143

Post by pcmoney » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:46 PM UTC

When I did it in 2016 I wrote a small script to undo every activity I had ever done. Then I deleted it. Also changed the password to a max length so it was impossible to login for the 30days.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#144

Post by puglr » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:47 PM UTC

swamp-agr wrote: post #103

iforgetti wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Move to a European country and Sue there for GDPR violation.

I am in the middle of exactly that process!

What are the actual remedies available to you in your jurisdiction? Which one(s) are you pursuing?

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#145

Post by roydivision » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:47 PM UTC

Most of the time tech companies have their fans and detractors. In virtually any discussion about tech companies, you’ll find people for the company in question, and others against, Apple and Google are great examples.

I find it interesting that I don’t think I’ve ever come across any discussion about Facebook (and I read a lot of them) where anyone is defending them. Either people are strongly against the company, or at most they admit grudgingly that they do use Facebook services because everyone else they know uses it.

The only people I ever hear championing Facebook are Zuckerberg and other top management.

I don’t have a Facebook account, so possibly all the positive discussion is on Facebook itself and I’m not seeing it.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#146

Post by chagaif » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:50 PM UTC

lucasverra wrote: post #40

Helmut10001 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Use mautrix-whatsapp [1] on a home server to bridge Matrix chat to WhatsApp and (optionally) add a dedicated VoIP phone number for WhatApp. Allows you to connect to/chat with WhatApp users using Matrix/Element. [1]: https://github.com/mautrix/whatsapp

how to ping you to know a bit more of that experience ?

I have also been using this for nearly a year now, you can reach me at https://chagai.website

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#147

Post by epicide » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:52 PM UTC

hardlianotion wrote: post #128

swamp-agr wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You cannot be quite sure - that someone who takes over your "garbage" account - could fake someone else (on your behalf) - with a traces on corporate servers that will lead authorities to you in the future. It might be highly unlikely to happen, though.

One way to leave is to garbage the account, then put a max size password on it, generated randomly. Then forget about the whole thing. Maybe that is safe enough?

Until they actually delete the data, there's a way for someone other than you to get to it. It could require a terrible password reset feature or a breach, but the data is still there.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#148

Post by antihero » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:54 PM UTC

roydivision wrote: post #145

Most of the time tech companies have their fans and detractors. In virtually any discussion about tech companies, you’ll find people for the company in question, and others against, Apple and Google are great examples. I find it interesting that I don’t think I’ve ever come across any discussion about Facebook (and I read a lot of them) where anyone is defending them. Either people are strongly against the company, o…

I would imagine that the proponents of Facebook are the huge huge amounts of people who are less technologically savvy, don't really give two shits about privacy surrounding data they perceive to given up willingly, and aren't really involved in any sort of discourse.

However, they absolutely love the fact that they've been able to keep in contact with family, old friends, and see the value of the human connection they are able to get through Facebook as far greater than the negatives.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#149

Post by dougmwne » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:56 PM UTC

roydivision wrote: post #145

Most of the time tech companies have their fans and detractors. In virtually any discussion about tech companies, you’ll find people for the company in question, and others against, Apple and Google are great examples. I find it interesting that I don’t think I’ve ever come across any discussion about Facebook (and I read a lot of them) where anyone is defending them. Either people are strongly against the company, o…

I'll step into that role then. I am a member of some Facebook groups that have been hugely helpful on a personal level. The community page software may not be perfect, but it is accessible and can bring together a really heterogeneous user base with diverse perspectives, much more so than Reddit. The groups pages are entirely separate from the toxic feed. I would be absolutely bummed if they were to blink out of existence.

Re: How to permanently delete your Facebook account

#150

Post by TomSwirly » Wed, Oct 06, 2021, 1:56 PM UTC

roydivision wrote: post #145

Most of the time tech companies have their fans and detractors. In virtually any discussion about tech companies, you’ll find people for the company in question, and others against, Apple and Google are great examples. I find it interesting that I don’t think I’ve ever come across any discussion about Facebook (and I read a lot of them) where anyone is defending them. Either people are strongly against the company, o…

I am unfortunately still on Facebook - I moved to another continent in the last few years and it's the only way to keep track of people.

At least from my friends, everyone hates it, left, center and right-wing alike.