In the aftermath of what might become the largest mishandling of personal data in the recent history, Facebook has announced that it changes the way it conducts data sharing with third parties. The reason for the overhaul of data sharing policies is a major violation of users’ trust that has led to multiple lawsuits filed by some of the affected members of the social network. If you don’t live in cozy moss under a rock like a carefree salamander, you’ve probably heard that the social networking giant has let a data consultancy company Cambridge Analytica to access data of 50 million users. The incident resulted in a staggering stock drop. The stock selloff precipitated by the controversy has substantially impacted the value of Facebook, which has lightened the pocket of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, by $5 billion. But the social firestorm is far from being extinguished. Brace yourself: the mass deletion of Facebook accounts is coming. Or not?
While some media outlets are pulling their weight to help Facebook escape the dark wave of negative publicity, others are using the moment to get more traffic by decrying the company in the harshest terms. As expected, Zuckerberg has addressed the public and apologized for the incident promising that steps will be taken yada, yada, yada.
What should be kept in mind amidst the media frenzy is the fact that Facebook was aware of the data misuse back in 2015. Yet it did nothing. If the world starts paying more attention to the underhanded practices of the company, Facebook will see the disappearance of countless millions of accounts. Pro tip: your Facebook page should be among them.
Yes, indeed, the colossus has shaken, but do not expect it to fall anytime soon. If people do not recognize Facebook for what it is (a data mining enterprise), it will emerge relatively unscathed from the scandal. The odds are that anyone doubting that the company will win the uphill battle against the perennial desire to make a quick buck while dismissing the best interests of its customers will be undoubtedly placed in the category of “wackos” and “conspiracy theorists.” However, if you don’t wish to entrust your personal data to the company with a shifting moral center, here’s how to delete Facebook account.
How to Delete a Facebook Account
Prior to decamping from Facebook, it is essential to make some arrangements to prevent the permanent disappearance of important data. If you don’t want to lose precious pictures from a vacation in Italy, it’s better to create some offline copies. To this end, go to the settings page of your Facebook account and click on the General Account Settings. From there, you can download all of your social network data, by clicking Start My Archive. If you are a veteran Facebook user with zillions of posts, photos, and videos, it will take quite some time. Be patient. After the archive is prepared, you’ll receive an email with a download link.
Once data has been backed up, disassociate your devices from the account. It should be done to prevent the restoration of the Facebook page if it is inadvertently accessed during the waiting period. To do so, go to Security and Login Settings and proceed to the section titled Where You’re Logged In. In this section, select the Log Out of All Sessions option. This will end both browser and mobile sessions.
The next step in the account nuking process is to transfer the ownership of groups. The thing is if you manage a group on Facebook, it will be left high and dry after you pack your suitcases and depart. To prevent this from happening, go to the group or page you manage and select the Members option from the left-hand menu. Find a member you trust to perform managerial functions and click Make Admin.
The final step is to annihilate the account by logging in to Facebook and following this link. You can either learn more about the account deleting by clicking a link at the bottom of the window or click the Delete My Account button.
Then, enter your password, fill the CAPTCHA box and click the OK button.
After deciphering an unintelligible scribble as a means of proving that you are not a malicious machine, click the OK button once again. That’s it. Your Facebook account has just gone the way of the dinosaur (and MySpace). Note, that after clicking the OK button, you might not be able to reactive the account. Therefore, think twice whether you want to escape the strangling embrace of the overly attached and prying social network.