Facebook is 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 users, it’s no surprise that some will deactivate or delete their accounts from time to time.
But what exactly happens when you delete your Facebook account? Is it gone for good or does Facebook keep some of your data? Let’s take a closer look at what Facebook says happens when you delete an account.
What Facebook Says About Deleted Accounts
According to Facebook’s Data Policy:
When you delete your account, we delete things you have posted, such as your photos and status updates, and you won’t be able to recover that information later. Information that others have shared about you isn’t part of your account and won’t be deleted. If you don’t want certain information about you to appear on Facebook, you can use your privacy settings to limit who can see it.
Additionally, Facebook says:
It may take up to 90 days from the beginning of the deletion process to delete all of the things you’ve posted, like your photos, status updates or other data stored in backup systems. While we are deleting this information, it is inaccessible to other people using Facebook.
So in summary:
- Content you have shared, such as photos and updates, is deleted
- Content others have shared about you is not deleted
- It can take up to 90 days for all your data to be wiped from Facebook’s systems
- Your data is inaccessible to anyone else during the deletion process
What Kind of Data Does Facebook Collect?
To understand what remains after an account deletion, it helps to know what kind of data Facebook collects in the first place. According to its Data Policy, Facebook collects:
- Things you share and do, such as photos, comments, reactions, etc.
- Networks and connections
- Things others share and do about you, like tagging you in a photo
- Device information like operating systems and IP addresses
- Cookie data
- Location-related information
- Clear History tool information
- Meta Pixel or Partner Pixel data
- Ads and sponsored content you see or engage with
When you delete your account, things you have posted like photos and updates are removed. However, data gathered through other means, like your device info, logged locations, cookie data, etc. may remain in Facebook’s systems.
Does Facebook Keep Data After Account Deletion?
Facebook claims that after account deletion, your information is inaccessible to other users. However, their policies indicate they do continue retaining some data:
We retain data for as long as it is necessary to provide our services and apps, operate our business, conduct research, and develop new technologies. For example, we may retain information from accounts disabled for terms violations for at least a year to prevent repeat abuse or other term violations.
Facebook also says they may retain your data for “industry standards” and “legal requirements” but does not elaborate on what that entails.
So while the content you actively posted is eventually deleted, it seems Facebook continues storing other data associated with your account for undefined periods of time after deletion for internal operations and analytics.
Does Facebook use deleted account data for training AI?
One common question is whether Facebook uses data from deleted accounts to train its artificial intelligence systems. Facebook has confirmed this is the case:
We use data from accounts that have been deactivated to train our AI systems. After accounts are deactivated, this data cannot be used for personalized advertising.
So even after you delete your account, your data may be used by Facebook to teach its AI and improve services like facial recognition and object detection in photos.
Steps to Maximizing Account Deletion
If you wish to delete your Facebook account while minimizing data retained by Facebook, here are some steps to take beforehand:
- Download all your data from Facebook using their Download Your Information tool. This will let you retrieve photos, posts, and other content you have shared before it is deleted.
- Remove apps and third-party services connected to your Facebook account. This will disconnect them from accessing any data.
- Adjust privacy settings on your content. Set things like posts and photos to be visible to “Only Me” so they are restricted when the deletion starts.
- Delete old posts, photos, and any other content you do not want lingering during the deletion process.
- Stop using Facebook on any devices. Delete mobile apps, clear cookies, and disconnect devices to limit new data collection.
In addition, you can contact Facebook and request they remove all remaining personal data after the standard 90 day deletion period. There is no guarantee they will comply, but it can help reduce data retention.
Can You Reactivate a Deleted Facebook Account?
If you regret deleting your Facebook account, is it possible to recover it?
Facebook’s policies state:
When you delete your account, your account is permanently deleted after a period of time. We’ve done this to secure our platform and protect people’s privacy.
However, they note there is a limited window of time in which you may be able to cancel and reverse your account deletion:
If you log into your account within 3 days of requesting deletion, your account cancellation will be cancelled.
So if you act very quickly, you may be able to undo your deletion during this 3 day grace period by logging back into your account. Be aware this window is short and once the 3 days have passed, your deletion cannot be reversed.
Alternatives to Full Account Deletion
Permanently deleting your Facebook account ensures your data is eventually removed from Facebook’s systems (although some data may persist internally). However, there are a couple alternative options that may suit your needs:
Deactivate Account
If you wish to take a break from Facebook, you can deactivate your account instead of fully deleting it. According to Facebook:
Deactivating your account temporarily disables your profile and removes your name and photos from most things you’ve shared on Facebook. Friends won’t be able to see your profile or search for you.
Your data and account remain but are hidden from other users. You can easily reactivate your account later if desired.
Increase Privacy Settings
Instead of deleting your account, you can increase privacy settings to restrict how much data is visible. Options include:
- Limiting past and future posts to “Only Me”
- Restricting profile information like your bio, featured photos, etc.
- Turning off location tracking
- Disabling facial recognition
- Blocking specific friends or groups from seeing your activity
This allows you to minimize new data being collected without losing access to your account.
Conclusion
When you request account deletion on Facebook, content you actively posted is eventually deleted within 90 days. However, some data like usage activity, device info, location data, and cookie data may continue being retained internally by Facebook for undefined periods.
If you wish to maximize deletion, download your data, disconnect third-party apps, increase privacy settings, and delete as much past content as possible beforehand. You may be able to undo deletion within 3 days by logging back in.
Overall, while Facebook does claim to “delete” accounts, some data clearly persists in their systems for various purposes. True and complete deletion of all collected user data does not seem possible currently unless Facebook actively complies with specific deletion requests.