How to delete Facebook, Instagram and Threads

Following Meta’s decision to remove his third party fact checking system and loosen content moderation policies, Google is looking into how to remove Facebook, Instagram and Threads have been growing.

People upset with the decision accused Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of catering to the incoming Trump administration at the expense of making the company’s social media platforms more of a hotbed for misinformation and speech. polarizing Zuckerberg’s observations that the company’s third-party fact-checkers were “too politically biased” for his view of “free speech” probably didn’t help.

So if you, like countless others, have had it with Meta’s algorithms that put you in a frenzy (insert cultural or political issue here) and are tired of the company slurping up your data to train its AI or target advertising, then read.

How to download your Facebook archive

If you really want to delete (and not just deactivate) your Facebook account, you must download your personal information from the Facebook archives, which includes photos, active sessions, chat history, IP addresses, facial recognition data, and ads you clicked on. on

Note that these instructions require a computer and a web browser, not a mobile phone.

Here’s what to do:

• Click the down arrow below your profile picture in the upper right corner.
• Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
• Scroll down on the left column until you reach it Your informationand click Download your information.
• You will be asked to visit the Account center. Click Keep going.
• When the pop-up appears, click it Download or transfer information.
• You can choose the information from which accounts, including your Facebook, Instagram and Meta Horizon accounts, to download. Click Afterwards.
• Choose how much information you want to download, and click Afterwards. Note from FB: “If you select Specific types of information, you will be able to choose what type of information you want to download, including data logs.”
• Decide if you want to download your information to a device or directly transfer your information to a destination and click Afterwards.
  • If you select Transfer to destinationyou can choose the destination and plan future transfers. Once you make your choice, click Start the transfer and enter your Facebook profile password.
  • If you select Download to the devicechoose your file options. There will be a list that allows you to create a date range, and you can download it in HTML or JSON, and choose between high, medium, or low medium quality.
• Click Submit the request.

How to delete your Facebook account

Note: If you delete your account, you cannot regain access to it. Facebook will delay the deletion for a few days after the request and will cancel your deletion request if you return to Facebook during this time.

Also note, some information such as messaging history is not stored in your account, so your friends may still have access to the messages you sent after your account is deleted.

With that in mind, here’s how to do it:

• Click on your profile picture in the upper right corner.
• Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
• Click Account center at the top left of the screen.
• Click Personal dataunder Account Settings.
• Click Account Ownership and Control.
• Click Deactivation or deletion.
• Choose the account or profile you want to deactivate.
• Select Deactivate the account.
• Click Keep going and follow instructions to confirm.

How to download your Instagram information

There are two ways to find the web page where to download your Instagram information – go through the Account center or your Instagram settings. For the first, navigate to Your information and permissions to find Download your information. To get to Instagram Settings, click on the three parallel lines at the bottom left of your screen, then click Your business…

Each of these steps will lead you to the Download your information page You will need to click on the profiles you want to download your information from and choose if you want to download it on a device or transfer the information directly to another destination.

If you select Download to the deviceyou will have to choose a date range, notification email, format of your download request, and the quality of photos, videos and other media – the same as with the download of your Facebook information. Then click Create files.

Once you have made the request, it will appear as In progress under the Current Activity tab in the Download your information tool Instagram will notify you by email and in the app when it’s ready to go, and you have four days to download the information.

How to delete your Instagram account

Downloaded your information? Now you are ready to delete it permanently.

Here’s how to do it on the web page:

• Go directly to Account properties and control settings in the Accounts Center.
• Click Deactivation or deletion.
• Click the account you want to delete.
• Click Delete the accountthen click Keep going.

Once your account is deleted, you can sign up for a backup with the same username if it’s still available, if you have a change of heart.

How to delete your Threads account

Note: If you delete your Instagram account associated with your Threads profile, this will also delete your Threads profile.

But to delete only Threads, you will need to go to the Threads.net web page on a computer, and follow these steps:

• Click on the two parallel lines at the bottom left of the page, then click Settings.
• Click account at the top, then Deactivate or delete the profile.
• Click Delete the profile.
• Follow all the prompts that appear, then click Delete the Threads profile.

It will take 30 days for the deletion request to go through. And if you want to sign a backup with the same Instagram profile, you will have to wait 90 days.