Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of the third quarter of 2022. With so many people using Facebook to share updates, photos, videos, and more, it’s no surprise that some posts are deleted after being published.
But what actually happens when you delete a Facebook post? Is it gone forever or can it still be accessed? Here’s a look at whether deleted Facebook posts are really deleted.
What happens when you delete a post on Facebook
When you delete a post on Facebook, it is no longer visible to you or other users on the platform. The post is removed from your timeline as well as the news feeds of your friends and followers. Deleting a post does not send a notification to anyone that the post has been removed.
However, the post is not immediately erased from Facebook’s servers. According to Facebook, deleted posts may continue to be stored for up to 90 days. There are a few reasons for this:
- Backup copies – Facebook makes backup copies of its data, so a deleted post may still exist in a backup.
- Caching – Facebook caches some data to improve performance, so a deleted post may be cached until the cache is cleared.
- Investigations – Facebook may retain deleted content if it is relevant to an ongoing investigation or legal request.
During this 90-day period, the post is only accessible to Facebook employees in certain circumstances. For example, if the post violated Facebook’s terms of service before being deleted.
Who can see your deleted Facebook posts?
In most cases, only Facebook employees can access your deleted posts during the 90-day retention period. There are a few exceptions where others may be able to see your deleted posts:
- You – If you deleted the post, you may still be able to see it by logging into your account on Facebook.
- Person tagged in the post – If you tagged someone else in the post before deleting it, that person may still be able to see it on their own timeline.
- Page admin – If you posted on a Facebook Page and then deleted it, a Page admin can still access insights about deleted posts.
- Advertisers – If the deleted post contained an ad, the advertiser may still have reporting data about that ad’s performance.
In special cases, Facebook may provide deleted content to law enforcement if required by law or a valid legal request. But in general, your deleted posts can only be seen in very limited circumstances.
Recovering deleted Facebook posts
If you accidentally deleted a Facebook post that you wanted to keep, is it possible to get it back? Unfortunately, once you permanently delete a post it can be very difficult to recover it.
Facebook does not have an automated way for users to restore deleted posts. And since posts are only stored for up to 90 days after being deleted, that gives you a limited window to try to recover lost content.
Here are some methods that may work to restore a deleted Facebook post:
- Check your Activity Log – Your Activity Log stores data about your Facebook activity, including some deleted posts.
- Check archived messages – If you shared the post with someone via Messenger, it may be archived in your messages.
- Check notifications – Email or push notifications related to the post may have the content.
- Check other apps – If you shared the post to another app, you may find it saved elsewhere.
- Check Facebook backups – Download an archive of your Facebook data to see if the post appears.
- Check with the recipient – Someone who received the post may have copied or taken a screenshot of it.
If the post contained photos or videos, you may be able to recover the media from the place it was originally uploaded even if the Facebook post itself is gone.
But beyond these options, there is no reliable method that works 100% of the time. So it’s best to be careful about what you post and delete on Facebook.
Do deleted Facebook posts disappear from everywhere?
When you delete a post on Facebook, it is removed from public view on the platform. But does it disappear from all other places where it may have been shared or saved?
Unfortunately, no. There are many places where your deleted posts could still exist:
- Search engine caches – Google and other search engines may have indexed your post before it was deleted.
- External sites – If you shared the post to another site, it still exists on that site.
- RSS feeds – Your post may exist in RSS feeds or social media aggregation sites.
- Screenshots – Other users may have captured screenshots of your post before it was deleted.
- Chat history – If you shared the post via chat apps, it remains in chat history.
- Email forwards – Recipients could have forwarded emails containing your post.
- Cached images – Images you uploaded may be cached on other sites like Pinterest or Tumblr.
Essentially, anything that happened with the post before you deleted it cannot be undone. You have no control over copies, screenshots, caches, forwards, etc. So you should be extremely careful about what you share given that it can never be permanently erased from the internet.
How long do deleted Facebook posts stay on servers?
As mentioned earlier, when you delete a post on Facebook, it sticks around on their servers for up to 90 days before being permanently erased. This grace period allows Facebook to access posts if needed for investigations or legal requests.
Facebook has not provided specifics on exactly how long deleted posts remain on their servers. It likely varies based on factors like:
- Type of data – Photos may stick around longer than text posts.
- Amount of data – Shorter posts likely deleted faster than longer posts.
- Frequency of deletion – If you rarely delete, posts may remain longer.
- Legal concerns – Posts may be retained longer if relevant to an investigation.
But in general, you can expect a deleted Facebook post to no longer exist on Facebook’s servers after 90 days. Of course, as mentioned earlier, copies of that post may still exist in other places like email inboxes or external sites.
Can Facebook employees see your deleted posts?
Yes, Facebook employees can access and view deleted posts for up to 90 days before they are purged from servers. They may do this for various reasons, including:
- Investigating terms of service violations
- Responding to legal requests from law enforcement
- Improving security and spam detection systems
- Monitoring misinformation and abuse
- Debugging issues with the post deletion process
- Conducting internal research on how the platform is used
Facebook’s internal data access policies determine which employees can view deleted posts and under what circumstances. For example, an engineer working on user privacy features may not have access, while an abuse investigation team member would.
In addition to current employees, Facebook’s policies state that contractors, vendors and temporary employees may also access deleted posts in some cases if required by their role. But outside of internal personnel, deleted content cannot be accessed by anyone else after being removed.
Does Facebook use your deleted posts for data mining?
Facebook has faced some criticism over the years for ambiguous policies around how deleted user data can be utilized internally. However, the company has stated that they do not use deleted posts to improve ad targeting or subject users to data mining.
According to their policies, Facebook may analyze deleted posts to detect abuse, improve security, comply with legal obligations, or conduct internal research and testing. But they claim not to leverage deleted content for advertising purposes.
That said, many privacy advocates remain skeptical about what happens behind the scenes. Facebook does build extensive profiles about users’ interests to serve relevant ads. While they may not directly analyze your deleted posts, they likely extrapolate data from them when shaping your digital footprint.
Ultimately, Facebook has the technical capability to mine deleted posts for data if they chose to. Their policies may prohibit it, but there is no way for external auditing to confirm that. Users simply have to take Facebook at their word unless evidence emerges otherwise.
Should you be concerned about deleted Facebook posts?
Are there privacy risks associated with Facebook’s retention and internal access to deleted posts? Here are some factors to consider:
- Limit sensitive posts – Be cautious about oversharing personal or private information that could be problematic if viewed.
- Remember nothing is truly deleted – Any post can be retained internally or elsewhere online.
- Review old posts – Occasionally check your Activity Log and delete risky old content.
- Adjust privacy settings – Limit the audience for more sensitive posts you make.
- Don’t assume anonymity – Even anonymous posts could have identifiers associated with your account.
- Know your rights – Stay up to date on privacy laws and Facebook’s terms of service.
While the risks are minimal for most everyday users, those with jobs requiring confidentiality or in sensitive situations should be more vigilant. Additionally, activists and journalists in dangerous regions may want to avoid posting anything that could compromise their safety if retained internally.
For the average user, being mindful of what you post and periodically reviewing your Activity Log is sufficient. But overall, it is wise to remember that anything posted online can come back to haunt you!
Can law enforcement access deleted Facebook posts?
In some cases, yes. Although deleted posts are removed from public view on Facebook, law enforcement can request access to them in a few scenarios:
- Court order – Facebook must comply if a valid court order requires releasing deleted content relevant to a legal case.
- Search warrant – A search warrant granted to law enforcement allows collecting deleted post data tied to a criminal investigation.
- Subpoena – Deleted posts may be released in civil cases when compelled by a subpoena.
- National security – For matters of national security, government agencies may be able to obtain deleted posts.
However, Facebook maintains that these requests are carefully reviewed for validity and users are notified unless restricted by law. But if required by a proper legal request, Facebook does not have an obligation to resist demands for a user’s deleted data.
What are Facebook’s internal guidelines for deleted posts?
Although the public-facing policies provide some overview, the exact details of how Facebook handles deleted posts internally remains somewhat opaque. Based on information that has emerged, here are some key guidelines:
- Access is permission-based – Not all employees can view deleted content without authorization.
- Training required – Those with access must undergo privacy and compliance training.
- Audits conducted – Logs of internal access to deleted posts are reviewed for breaches.
- Time limits enforced – Posts are automatically deleted after 90 days on servers.
- Legal reviews – Lawyers ensure data access complies with laws and regulations.
Facebook also states that all products and features that leverage user data undergo privacy, security and legal reviews before launch. While their handling of deleted posts is certainly worth scrutinizing, they do appear to take compliance seriously behind the scenes.
Should Facebook’s post deletion policies be reformed?
Given ongoing criticism and privacy concerns around Facebook’s data retention policies, some argue their approach to deleted posts needs reform. Here are some suggested changes that have been proposed:
- Shorten retention period – Reduce the 90-day window that deleted posts persist internally.
- More transparent policies – Disclose exactly how long different types of deleted data are stored.
- Improved user control – Offer options to permanently erase certain posts immediately.
- Third party audits – Subject internal deleted post handling to external audits.
- Regulatory oversight – Have governments mandate reforms to data retention rules.
- Notifications – Alert users when their deleted posts are accessed internally.
However, Facebook has resisted many reforms, arguing that current policies follow all applicable laws and are necessary for harmless internal operations. But as public scrutiny around online privacy grows, the pressure on Facebook to revise its practices will likely continue mounting.
Conclusion
When a post is deleted on Facebook, it disappears from public view. But the content lingers for up to 90 days on internal servers before being permanently erased. Copies of the post may also continue to exist externally across the internet. So while deleted posts eventually vanish from Facebook itself, total elimination of something posted online is nearly impossible.
Users should be mindful of what they share given Facebook’s retention policies and internal access. For everyday social media users, there is likely minimal risk from deleted posts being stored temporarily. But for those in sensitive positions, extra caution is warranted. Ultimately, reforming Facebook’s deletion policies to limit data retention may build greater trust in the long run.