What Happens When You Deactivate Your Facebook Account

[ilev]

If you?ve been tempted to leave Facebook and delete your account recently then you aren?t alone. After all, the social network?s approach to user privacy is becoming more laughable by the day. But if you do leave, prepare for a little bit of begging and guilt tripping first.

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Last night I met a man who walked to the edge of the cliff and nearly deactivated his Facebook account. He took a screenshot of what he saw after clicking the "deactivate my account" link on his account page - and it is pretty far-out.

That man considered quitting Facebook because it was having an adverse emotional impact on him and I'll spare him and his contacts from posting the screenshot he shared with me. I have posted below though a shot of the screen I saw when I clicked that button myself. Check it out. I bet you haven't seen this screen before, have you?

Can you believe that? How incredibly manipulative! And what claims to make. Facebook has undoubtedly made it easier to keep in touch with people than almost any other technology on the planet, but to say that leaving Facebook means your friends "will no longer be able to keep in touch with you" is just wrong. Facebook often says little things like this that read like it thinks it has a monopoly on human connection.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/what_happens_when_you_deactivate_your_facebook_acc.php

[hdood]

They should throw in a few

[Jase]

Yep sure looks like "Jason" is going to miss him when he leaves HAHA :laugh:

[nullie]

I've deactivated my account a few times, it doesn't do much because people still seem to be able to post on my wall and stuff and I get email notifications about it. o_O

[argonite]

If images of 4 random Facebook contacts with a link that says 'they will miss you' actually affects your decision to deactivate (even though you probably only contact a fraction of them and you KNOW you have other ways of contacting them) then you never had a good reason to leave anyway.

[n_K]

You CAN delete your account, search on google, it's in a help document and takes 14 days obviously if you login again within those 2 weeks it springs back to life.

rm -rf *.facebook.*

[etempest]

source - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16929680703

HOW TO DELETE (long version)

Go here (working link above):

http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account

Click "Submit" and follow the instructions.

Your account will be deactivated for two weeks, and if you DO NOT LOG IN during that period, your account is permanently deleted. I REPEAT: don't panic if your profile isn't deleted right away! You must NOT try to log in to your account for at least two weeks, as it will cancel the deletion request. If you want out - stay out, mmmkay? ;)

This method is official and should be complete, i.e. no need to delete individual photos, comments, messages or items from your profile or anywhere else on Facebook! If you have any concerns whether your stuff is actually deleted (as opposed to being kept somewhere in the deep dungeons of Facbook's HQ) your best bet is to ask them using email: info@facebook.com.

[amon91]

It's pure marketing you'd find anywhere else. "Good" and effective ads tend to have an emotional impact on people and yeah, when I first saw that I kinda laughed.

[c3ntury]

Meh, the only reason you can't delete your account is to stop phishers anyway.

[Cupcakes]

Oh my gosh that screenshot definitely shows how manipulative that was!!!!

Or not.

[Southern Patriot]

More anti-Facebook nonsense. People are really grasping at straws now, just like all of the anti-Apple trolls around here.

[iamawesomewicked]

More anti-Facebook nonsense. People are really grasping at straws now, just like all of the anti-Apple trolls around here.

Oh look, another post where you use the word Anti-"insert word here".. You're really grasping at straws now and being very unoriginal.

[qdave]

I think there were much more difficult websites to leave than facebook.

[Southern Patriot]

Oh look, another post where you use the word Anti-"insert word here".. You're really grasping at straws now and being very unoriginal.

How else would you describe those posts? Yeah, I could have said "posts critical of Facebook", but "anti-Facebook" is simply shorter.

[Growled Member]

Your account will be deactivated for two weeks, and if you DO NOT LOG IN during that period, your account is permanently deleted. I REPEAT: don't panic if your profile isn't deleted right away! You must NOT try to log in to your account for at least two weeks, as it will cancel the deletion request. If you want out - stay out, mmmkay? ;)

Sounds like someone doesn't understand how to follow instructions.

[bjoswald]

I just set all of my privacy options to "Friends Only" and opt out of all available programs, then deactivate my account. I haven't been on in a week and haven't heard a damn thing. :cool:

[tablet_user]

More anti-Facebook nonsense. People are really grasping at straws now, just like all of the anti-Apple trolls around here.

how come no matter then topic you always throw apple in? way to post an original statement none of us knew you would.

[Fluxii Media]

I find it rather annoying you have to wait two weeks for your account to officially be deleted.

By the way:

What happens to all your information after you request to deactivate your account? I know images tend to stay on their servers already, cause I've hotlinked a photo before after I deleted my old account a long time ago. Does all your personal information stay on their servers too?

[n_K]

What happens to all your information after you request to deactivate your account? I know images tend to stay on their servers already, cause I've hotlinked a photo before after I deleted my old account a long time ago. Does all your personal information stay on their servers too?

Yeh, it's stored permanently to 'prevent and detect crime' etc. (according to them). Police and whatnot can request to be given all the info and pictures you had.

[Fluxii Media]

Yeh, it's stored permanently to 'prevent and detect crime' etc. (according to them). Police and whatnot can request to be given all the info and pictures you had.

now I regret ever signing up in the first place. Though, I understand why it's stored, but I also think it should be stored for only 6 months after deletion of account.