Evidently, not everyone is prepared to embrace an era devoid of truth. Following Mark Zuckerberg’s revelation that Meta platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will replace professional fact-checkers with a Community Notes-type crowdsourcing model for accountability, there has been a dramatic surge in the number of searches for deleting Meta accounts.

In the aftermath of the announcement that precision is no longer paramount on these platforms, searches like “how to delete Facebook” and “how to delete Instagram” hit new peaks, according to Google Trends statistics. Similar queries such as “how to quit facebook,” “how to delete threads account,” and “how to delete instagram account without logging in” have also become trending searches, signifying a rise of 5,000% or more in curiosity, as noted by TechCrunch.

In a related twist, competitors of Facebook are experiencing a surge in interest as well. During the time when people aimed to leave the Meta realm, Bluesky encountered almost a 1,000% spike in inquiries. Zuckerberg criticized individuals abandoning his organization’s platforms as “virtue signaling,” likely because he believes everyone possesses the same level of moral ambiguity and adaptability as he does, rather than acting out of conviction.

Unfortunately, for those searching for new dwellings, there are limited suitable alternatives for platforms like Instagram—or even Facebook—for those intending to abandon these networks as they transform into post-fact AI content engines.

Zuckerberg has successfully monopolized significant sections of the social web, and escaping his clutches proves challenging—particularly when persuading those you wish to remain in contact with to do the same. Facebook boasts over three billion monthly users worldwide while Instagram has secured two billion. Want to keep in touch with peers? Meta’s WhatsApp hosts around three billion active users, with Messenger tallying over one billion. Already erased your profiles or never had any? Even so, Meta collects your data and monitors your online activities for its substantial digital marketing operation.

Still, that shouldn’t discourage you from attempting to reduce your exposure to the colossal entity known as Meta. Since you probably found yourself here searching for terms like “how to delete facebook,” it’s fair to provide what you’re after. We offer you the guide, we gain some views, and ultimately, everyone departs satisfied.

Deleting Your Facebook Account

A brief foreword here: Facebook has engineered an intentionally convoluted user interface, forming a complex maze of menus needed to locate the account deletion choice—and this maze varies based on your operating system, platform, and Facebook version used.

However, if utilizing an iPhone or Android device:

1. Press the three-bar “Menu” button located at the bottom right of the Facebook app
2. Select the “Settings & privacy” option
3. If “Accounts Center” appears here, enter it. If absent, choose “Settings” and a popup explaining its purpose should lead you to “Accounts Center”
4. Select “Personal details”
5. Select “Account ownership and control”
6. Select “Deactivation or deletion”
7. Select the account or profile for deletion
8. Select “Delete account”
9. Select “Continue” and adhere to the on-screen instructions for confirmation

If you see Accounts Center, then you might be able to deactivate both Facebook and Instagram accounts concurrently, provided they are linked.

If using Facebook via a desktop, the identical steps apply, except your initial step is clicking your profile photo in the top right corner. From there, locate “Settings & privacy” and follow the same above procedure.

Whether on desktop or mobile platforms, if Accounts Center isn’t visible, follow these steps:

1. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above
2. In “Settings & privacy,” choose “Profile Access and Control”
3. Select “Deactivation and Deletion”
4. Opt for “Delete Account” and select “Continue to Account Deletion”
5. Adhere to on-screen directions to confirm

Deleting Your Instagram Account

If your Instagram account isn’t associated with your Facebook, you can independently delete it on the iOS and Android app by following:

1. Haz clic en “perfil” o en tu foto de perfil en la esquina inferior derecha
2. Selecciona el menú de tres barras “Más” en la parte superior derecha
3. Selecciona “Centro de Cuentas”
4. Selecciona “Detalles personales”
5. Selecciona “Propiedad y control de la cuenta”
6. Selecciona “Desactivación o eliminación”
7. Selecciona la cuenta que deseas eliminar
8. Selecciona “Eliminar cuenta” 
9. Selecciona “Continuar” y sigue las instrucciones en pantalla para confirmar

Si estás utilizando Instagram en una computadora de escritorio, el primer paso será hacer clic en “Más” en la parte inferior izquierda de la pantalla, luego haz clic en Configuración. Desde allí, sigue los pasos del 3 al 9 mencionados arriba.