After Meta’s decision to remove its third-party fact-checking system and release its content moderation policy, Google’s search for how to remove Facebook, Instagram, and Threads has intensified. Those angered by the decision blamed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for displeasing the incoming Trump administration at the expense of making the company’s social media platform more open to misinformation and polarized speech. Zuckerberg’s note that the company’s third-party fact-checkers are “too politically biased” for their vision of “free expression” probably didn’t help. So if you, like countless others, have experienced a Meta algorithm that leaves you confused [insert cultural or political issue here] and tired of companies hacking your data to train AI or target ads, then read on. How to download your Facebook archive Image Credit: Meta If you really want to delete (and not just deactivate) your Facebook account, you need to download your personal information from Facebook archive, which includes photos, active sessions, chat history, IP address, facial recognition data, and the ad you clicked on. Note that these instructions require a computer and a web browser, not a mobile phone. Here’s what you need to do: Click the down arrow below your profile picture in the top right corner. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings. Scroll down the left column until you reach your Information, then click Download your information. You will be prompted to visit the Account Center. Click Continue. When the pop-up appears, click Download or transfer information. You can choose information from which accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Meta Horizon accounts, to download. Click Next. Select the amount of information you want to download, then click Next. Note from FB: “If you select a specific type of information, you will be able to select the type of information you want to download, including data logs.” Decide if you want to download the info to your device or directly transfer the info to the destination and click Next. If you choose Transfer to a destination, you can choose a destination and schedule future transfers. After you choose, click Start transfer and enter your Facebook profile password. If you select Download to device, select the file option. There will be a list that allows you to create several dates, and you can download them in HTML or JSON, and choose between high, medium, or low media quality. Click Submit request. How to delete a Facebook account Image Credit: Meta Note: If you delete your account, you can no longer access it. Facebook delays the deletion for a few days after the request and will cancel the deletion request if you log back into Facebook during that time. Also note, some information like your messaging history is not saved in your account, so your friends can still access 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 top corner. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings. Click Account Center at the top left of the screen. Click Personal details, under Account settings. Click Account ownership and control. Click Deactivation or delete. Select the account or profile you want to disable. Select Deactivate account. Click Continue and follow the instructions to confirm. How to download Instagram information There are two ways to find the web page that will download your Instagram information – you go to Account Center or Instagram Settings. For the former, navigate to Information and permission to find Download your information. To go to Instagram Settings, click on the three parallel lines at the bottom left of the screen, then click on your Activity… Either step will take you to the Download your information page. You must click on the profile you want to download information from and choose if you want to download it to your device or directly transfer the information to another destination. If you choose Download to device, you’ll need to select a date range, notification email, download request format, and quality of photos, videos, and other media – the same as downloading your Facebook info. Then click Create file. Once you’ve made your request, it will appear as In Process on the Current Activity tab in your Downloads tool. Instagram will notify you by email and in the app when it’s ready, and you’ll have four days to download the information. How to delete your Instagram account Download your info? Now you are ready to delete it permanently. Here’s how to do it on the web page: Go to your Account ownership and control settings in the Account Center. Click Deactivation or deletion. Click the account you want to delete. Click Delete account, then click Continue. After your account has been deleted, you can register again with the same username if it is still available, if you have any changes. How to delete a Utas account Note: If you delete the Instagram account associated with a Utas profile, this will also delete the Utas profile. But to delete only Threads, you must go to the Threads.net web page on your computer, and follow these steps: Click the two parallel lines at the bottom left of the page, then click Settings. Click Account at the top, then Deactivate or delete your profile. Click Delete profile. Do whatever is shown, then click Delete Thread profile. It takes 30 days to request a deletion. And if you want to sign back up with the same Instagram profile, you have to wait 90 days.
How to delete Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
