{"id":157208,"date":"2022-08-02T17:16:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T00:16:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=157208"},"modified":"2024-02-22T20:15:23","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T04:15:23","slug":"how-to-delete-old-accounts-containing-personal-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/tips-tricks\/how-to-delete-old-accounts-containing-personal-information\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Delete Old Accounts Containing Personal Information"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your digital footprint grows with every internet account you make. While your old Tumblr account may be fun for reminiscing, dormant accounts are actually one of the most significant sources of user data on the internet. These accounts can be used by data brokers or third parties to access your personal information.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To improve your data security, it\u2019s good practice to remove public-facing information by deleting unused accounts. Simply put, having less <\/span>personal data<\/span> stored on the internet reduces the risk of theft and\/or non-consensual data usage.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Deleting, canceling, unsubscribing, or removing your account can be a long process, depending on the service. This article will walk you through the simplest ways to delete unwanted accounts from various <\/span>social media<\/span> platforms.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why you should delete <\/span><\/b>old accounts<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Deleting unwanted accounts protects your information and prevents the monetization of your data. Your internet accounts often hold personal information like your name, age, email, or home address. What\u2019s more alarming is that some platforms may even have <\/span>credit card<\/span> details, <\/span>phone numbers<\/span>, and <\/span>bank account information<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When left unattended, internet accounts become vulnerable to being suspended or taken over by the platform. This means that if your accounts are left inactive for too long, you might be handing some or all of your data over to the tech platform.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, even if you believe an old <\/span>Google account<\/span> doesn\u2019t have any sensitive information stored, it may be linked to other platforms you use (like <\/span>Amazon<\/span> or <\/span>Google services<\/span> like <\/span>Gmail<\/span> and <\/span>Google Play)<\/span>. This exposes all of these accounts to several data privacy vulnerabilities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, a recent survey found that <\/span>70% of surveyed adults<\/span><\/a> admitted using the same password for more than one service. People who don’t use <\/span>password managers<\/span> or reuse passwords are at a greater security risk than others, as multiple accounts can become compromised at once. Whether the platform is now out of service or you are cutting down on your app usage, deleting dormant accounts will minimize security threats and safeguard your data.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to permanently delete <\/span><\/b>old accounts,<\/span><\/b> by platform<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Every platform has a different process for deleting accounts: Some take only a few clicks to complete and others are a little longer. Companies usually don\u2019t want a user to stop using their services, so <\/span>account deletion pages<\/span> are often hidden in a complex web of tabs that you have to navigate.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, some <\/span>subscription<\/span> services might require that you send an email to <\/span>customer support<\/span> to <\/span>close your account<\/span>. You can go to <\/span>justdelete.me<\/span><\/a>, an online directory that lets you access direct links to <\/span>account deletion pages<\/span> of various web services.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember to download your personal information and data before pulling the plug on your account. Most platforms let you download your data before initiating a <\/span>deletion request,<\/span> which saves you from losing important details and files. It is also important to check whether your <\/span>Google account<\/span> is used for your <\/span>YouTube channel<\/span> or connected to other <\/span>online accounts<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help you get rid of accounts you no longer use, we\u2019ve broken down deleting accounts from some of the most popular <\/span>social networks<\/span>. The steps described below are for a desktop browser and may not apply to <\/span>Android<\/span> or <\/span>iOS<\/span> devices (unless specified).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to delete <\/span><\/b>Facebook accounts<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

Facebook\u2019s user privacy policy enables it to store a large amount of user information, including personal messages, posts, search history, name, age, birthdate, and even metadata from posted photos and videos.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow these simple steps to delete your <\/span>Facebook account<\/span>:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n