Facebook Testing Instant Account Destruction Do you want all the records Facebook has from you deleted?

[andresf91 0]

Lots of people don't have a Facebook account because they fear of how the site uses their collected information. Even more people want their Facebook account deleted, because they found about these problems long after they started using the site, but having all your social information deleted is quite a tricky business and usually takes two weeks (link to tutorial).

After many people and websites have expressed their concern about the lack of privacy that Facebook users have, the site has finally started testing an Instant Account Destruction system, Ubergizmo reports.

 

According to Facebook's clarification to Gizmodo (which has spread the news):

This is JUST a test that we are running with a very small fraction of a percent of users. We are constantly testing new ideas, including the placement of various features on the site. One of these recent tests included variations of the delete account option for a very small percentage of people.

 

Testing potential features is an important part of our product development process, and tells us if they benefit users in the way we think they will, what we might do to make them even better, and in some instances, when we need to go back to the drawing board. Many tests, while very useful for user feedback, don't result in the changing of the product and/or the features within a product.

 

So, if you've been looking forward to say "Hasta la vista, babe" to this social networking website, you will soon have your chance to do it at once... Even more, you might be one of those selected in that "very small fraction of a percent of users"; if so, you should be able to see the option to "Delete information" on your Account's deactivation page (link here, be careful), as seen on Ubergizmo screenshot.

 

Personally, I still don't have that option available, so if I want to deactivate it, I can't skip the 14-days compulsory delay and yet, the information they have collected (including photos, messages, etc...) wouldn't be deleted! But as soon as this instant system passes the test stage, I'll probably delete my account and stuff, because there are lots of things that are simply wrong about the site, the privacy concerns people have don't come out of the air, there are lots of reasons to be wary on this subject (check url="http://gizmodo.com/5530178/top-ten-reasons-you-should-quit-facebook[/url]http://forums.xisto.com/ article which summarises them).

 

So, what do you think? Do you want all the records Facebook has from you deleted?

 

Source: Ubergizmo / Gizmodo.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

I wouldn't really have any issues with Facebook, if it weren't for how insecure and stalker-friendly it is.I'm not so worried about people knowing information about *me*, but I do have a huge issue with how people can see who you know and stuff like that. I see that as being an issue just waiting to happen (think about how many relationships/friendships you could easily destroy by spreading rumors and things like that -- you could find someone's girlfriend through FaceBook and let them know about how their boyfriend was cheating on them, for example).So I would definitely consider deleting my information -- if nothing else, to protect my *friends*.

[web_designer 7]

in spite of all the flaws and hacking that i heard about facebook, i will still be in facebook using my account, using the application, chatting and everything there in so many ways. not because i don't care of my privacy, but because i have no other way to communicate with my family or friends. in facebook we share a lot, we have the chance to talk and exchange the news better than any where else. so if i get that option to delete my account or my information, then definitely i won't use it. but in the same time i think that people should be careful of what they write or say in there, not giving a lot of personal information and photos is the key to stay in the safe side.

[mahesh2k 0]

It's not that they're totally worst in privacy. But there is plenty of privacy in comparison to other networks. People can use it to communicate with their friends and have good time. Thing is that facebook account used to take a lot of time to deactivate. Many times the information posted by user was not centralized and that was the reason they took this much time. Now that the account deletion takes less time it'll be better for many users who wants to leave facebook to avoid privacy issues. I hope orkut also comes with such facility of instant account deletion.