Remove a Facebook account

Got a Facebook account and want to get rid of it? For most people, the first stop would be to click the Settings button on the Facebook menu bar and then click on the Deactivate link at the bottom of the settings list. However, this doesn’t actually remove the account. Instead, it puts it into cold storage, preserving all the settings and personal information in case anyone has a change of heart. Lots of people don’t fancy the idea of having that info tucked away somewhere, just in case.

To completely delete a Facebook account, use the browser’s Back button to return to the main Facebook page and then click the Help link. When the page opens, type ‘delete’ into the search box at the top and then press Return. After a moment, Facebook will display a set of instructions that explain what to do and what happens to the account. Read these carefully and then proceed by clicking the ‘here’ link at the end of the paragraph.

At the next screen, click the Submit button to continue and then at the next screen, type in the password associated with the account that’s going to be deleted and then type in the required capture words. This is now the last chance to cancel. Still want to delete the Facebook account? Click the OK button and after a moment the Permanently Delete Account dialogue box appears. Click OK to finish up. Facebook still retains the data for a further 14 days. Don’t log on during that period and on day 15 the data gets zapped­ forever.