Should you delete, disable, or deactivate your account?

That is a question for your to decide. Rather than deleting your account, consider disabling features on social media that reduce privacy, and use Ghostery to control the data those sites collect.

What to know before deleting an account?

Back up data you want to keep and remove personal info from your profile before account deletion.

Can I remove myself from social media?

Yes. Another alternative is, rather than deleting your account, use Ghostery to control the data social media sites collect and disable features that reduce your privacy.

How do I clear my social media presence?

The answer depends on which social media service you use. Before removing your social media presence, back up data you want to keep and remove personal info from your profile.

Guide

How to Delete Your Social Media Accounts

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Each social media platform offers its own version of privacy settings. However, some users don’t believe these controls are enough in light of the privacy & security concerns surrounding social media as a whole.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to these platforms, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to delete social media accounts.

Twitter Account

Here is how to close your Twitter account:

Desktop

Go to Settings and Privacy > scroll down to Deactivate Your Account > Review the information and select Deactivate.

Mobile

Go to Settings and Privacy > choose Account > Deactivate Your Account > Review the information and select Deactivate.

Note: After 30 days, your deactivated account will become permanently deleted.

Facebook Account

To deactivate or permanently delete your Facebook account:

Desktop

Click the drop-down arrow in the upper right corner > Settings > select Your Facebook Information in the left-hand column > Deactivation and Deletion.

Mobile

Click the settings gear on your profile page > View Privacy Shortcuts > scroll down to Delete Your Account and Information.

Instagram Account

To deactivate or permanently delete your Instagram account:

Desktop

To deactivate your social media account, go to your profile page > select Edit Profile > Temporarily Disable My Account.

To delete your social media account, visit https://www.instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/ > if you’re not already signed in, you will be prompted to sign in to your account before continuing > select a reason for deleting your account.

Unfortunately, protecting your online identity isn’t as simple as googling "how to delete social media accounts" or "how to deactivate social media". Why?

Here’s an example: Facebook (who also owns Instagram) tracks almost 30% of web traffic according to a Ghostery study. These tracking scripts allow Facebook to gather and collect data outside of the platform itself.

This is why you can shop for a particular item online and then see ads for that item on your feed almost immediately after. This data is valuable whether it can be tied to an existing account or not.

Facebook is tracking you even without a Facebook account

Even when users don’t have a Facebook account, data is still being collected about them through the use of shadow profiles. “The tracking data contains unique identifiers (UIDs) that theoretically enable Facebook to link behavioral data to individual Internet users and to de-anonymize them very easily.” Deleting your account won’t protect you from this type of tracking.

Use Anti-Tracking tools while browsing the Web

If you’re taking this initiative, we suggest going a step further and using anti-tracking tools in tandem with your other privacy efforts. Anti-tracking tools, such as Ghostery, identify tracking scripts on webpages and block them before they are able to collect your data, giving you a faster and safer browsing experience. Download the Ghostery Tracker & Ad Blocker for your preferred browser to start blocking trackers today.

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