Are you planning to delete your Facebook Account? But now not so fast.
Facebook has recently updated its policy to delete the account of the user. Now, it takes more than twice the amount of time it takes before a user’s account is actually deleted. Now, it takes a month, up from 14 days as it was before. This change to the deletion time was first noticed by The Verge.
The change was decided when the Silicon Valley tech giant battles to contain the fallout of a massive hack affecting 50 million of its users, and as it attempts to move on from a chain of scandals, from Cambridge Analytica to the spread of fake news and Russian propaganda.
Now, what happens when a user decides to delete their Facebook Account
The Account doesn’t actually get deleted at the same time. Instead, now, there’s a “grace period,” during which the account remains inactive but accessible – just in case the user gets cold feet and decides to stay on Facebook after all.
The company told The Verge in a statement: “We recently increased the grace period when you choose to delete your Facebook account from 14 days to 30 days … We’ve seen people try to log in to accounts they’ve opted to delete after the 14-day period. The increase gives people more time to make a fully informed choice.”
Is it an Advantage or disadvantage?
Of course, a longer grace period is an advantage to Facebook because Facebook is tied to its huge number of users, so anything it can do to keep that number from declining – including doubling the time for someone to reconsider quitting – is a good thing for business.
If you are looking options for moving out of Facebook, depending on exactly what you want to have happened and, frankly, how much time you have to invest in the process. None of this is as easy as it should be, but here’s how to do it:
If you just want to cure your Facebook addiction, consider logging out.
If all you want is to spend less time on Facebook, then the simplest and easiest way to do is that simply log out of your account and delete the Facebook app from all your devices.
If you’re concerned about all the data Facebook is holding onto about you…well, all that data will still be there. If you’re concerned that a prospective employer or date will look you up on Facebook and find embarrassing information or photos, logging out won’t change that either. But at least you won’t be adding any more embarrassing content.
If you don’t want to be found on Facebook, consider deactivating your account.
If your main concern is to avoid having a prospective employer or your ex-find you on Facebook, deactivation may be the best option. You can change your mind and reactivate your account at any time, and everything will be right where you left it.
If you don’t want Facebook keeping your data, and you’re sure you won’t be back, go all the way and delete your account
Deleting your account really isn’t easy and comes with a couple of extra drawbacks. Chief among these is that you’ll also be shut out of any apps you’ve linked to Facebook for your sign in. Fortunately, Facebook will tell you which apps those are. Go into Settings and click “Apps” in the left-hand column.
Also, if you want to retain a record of your activity (photos, posts, etc.) on Facebook even after your account is gone, you will likely want to download your activity before you delete your account.
How to download your activity on Facebook before you Delete your Account:
- Go to account settings> at the bottom of the page, you will see an option to “Download a copy of your Facebook data.”
- Click that–you’ll have to enter your password again–and then click “Start My Archive.” When Facebook has finished gathering up your data, it will send you an email with a link to download it.
- That link has a time limit, so make sure to download your info it soon after you receive it.
Or, stick with Facebook from beyond the grave.
Facebook always wants to hang on to your information forever. So it has a suggestion for you: Leave your Facebook account to someone after you die. In fact, this is the first suggestion that comes up under “Manage Your Account.” Facebook calls this a “legacy contact.”
If you prefer not to be a ghost on Facebook after you yourself are gone, you can request that Facebook delete your account as soon as someone notifies the company of your demise. But only after it asks you a few times if you’re really, really sure.
