Facebook keeps consumer data for 180 days after deleting their account

Social media cybersecurity was discussed in a recent analysis by Incogni. The report utilized the following criteria for evaluation: 

• User friendliness: Ease of understanding privacy policies and account deletion process. 
• Data collection and retention: Data collected and stored by social media platforms, impacting data breaches and targeted advertising. 
• Transgressions: Frequency of government fines and data breaches. 
• Transparency: Disclosure of user data to governments and accessibility of features for users. 
• User control and consent: Privacy settings, default settings, and opt-out visibility. 

The study revealed that Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger), YouTube, and Discord retain users’ data for 180 days post account deletion. This implies that personal photos, videos, messages, financial information, and health details may remain on these platforms long after users think they have severed ties. 

Retaining data for 180 days exposes users to potential data breaches or unauthorized disclosures even after they have exited the platform. 

WhatsApp, Reddit, and Twitch retain user data for 90 days, Snapchat for 60 days, while TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) delete data after 30 days. Telegram, an encrypted messaging service, keeps data for just one day. 

Account Deletion Difficulty:

Deleting a social media account should be a straightforward process once a user decides to leave a platform. However, platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger require users to click six times to delete their account. 

Data Breaches:

Although social media is crucial to many individuals, it presents notable privacy and data security risks.

LinkedIn has encountered four data breaches since 2012, followed by X and Facebook with two each. Twitch experienced one data breach during the same timeframe.

Incogni also examined government fines, reflecting platforms’ non-compliance with legal standards. Facebook has faced eight fines since 2011, while WhatsApp received five fines. X and TikTok were fined four times each. 

YouTube, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitch have all been fined at least once.