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Delete Facebook the right way

Learn how to delete or deactivate your Facebook account and the steps to protect yourself before you do.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple, iPhone, iOS, Android, Samsung, Sony, Google, Motorola, interviews, coffee equipment, cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
2 min read

There are numerous reasons to delete or deactivate your Facebook account. You might be concerned about how the social networking site compromised and exposed the private data from millions of its users. Or you might be upset with the inadvertent role Facebook played spreading false information from foreign governments about US candidates in the 2016 presidential election. Or you could simply just want to stop yourself from mindlessly scrolling through your feed whenever you have spare time.

Whatever your reason for deleting, if you want to walk away from Facebook, we're here to help with all of the settings. As part of CNET's new How To Do It All YouTube channel, we show you how to permanently delete your account and walk you through other options like deactivation in case you can't bring yourself to permanently part ways. We even show you how to find settings to save everything you've ever posted (photos, videos, comments) and find all the ad data Facebook has on you.

Take a look at our How To Delete Facebook video at the top of the story.

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If you are ready to part ways with Facebook, you have several options.

Angela Lang/CNET

If you still need more information before you remove your account, read How to delete your Facebook account once and for all on CNET or How to delete your Facebook account so the social network stops tracking your data.


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Below are products featured in the video:

iPhone XS 64GB in Space Gray

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15-inch MacBook Pro in Silver

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Meet the women fighting fake news on Facebook

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