Fed up? Here’s how to get rid of your Facebook account

The scandal involving Facebook and political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica has spawned a campaign the social network likely did not want to see: #deleteFacebook.

The hashtag appearing on Twitter launched following Facebook’s announcement it suspended Cambridge Analytica for improperly securing profile information. The firm reportedly gained access to the personal information of tens of millions of Facebook users and used it to target voters during the 2016 election.

The revelation raises concerns over Facebook’s role in guarding its platform against Russian meddling and protecting user data from third parties.

Facebook admitting it knew about the data misuse more than two years ago helped spark the creation of #deleteFacebook, which has started making the rounds on Twitter:

If this has finally pushed you over the edge toward quitting Facebook, here are your options:

❚ Deactivate your account. According to Facebook, this move disables your profile and removes most of the comments or photos you’ve shared. Information such as direct messages to friends and your name in another person’s friends list may still appear. Your account will reactivate any time you log in. Also important: If you use any services where a Facebook login is required, that will reactivate your account, too, which means everything is restored.

❚ Delete your account. If you are serious about removing Facebook from your life, you can request having your account deleted. As the option suggests, everything tied to your account is removed. Facebook says it may take up to 90 days to have all photos, status updates and other information completely removed. However, during the process, no one can view your account.

Deleting also means no more commenting on websites requiring a Facebook login. It could also affect how you access apps if you chose to sign in with your Facebook credentials.

❚ What about Instagram? Something to remember if you really want to escape Facebook: It also owns Instagram. So, if you’re serious about not wanting your information near Facebook, you may want consider an alternative.