Fix Facebook
Joe Flood BY-NC-SA

Leaving Facebook? Maybe just wait a little

Consider leaving Facebook? Maybe it's good to remember that you can do that best after May 25, 2018. Why? That has to do with the new European privacy law. We explain it.

On 25 May, the new European Privacy Act will come into force and it will require companies to actually delete all your personal data if you ask for it. If you delete your profile now, Facebook can still save your data.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the full name of the European Privacy Act. One of the novelties in the law is the right to be forgotten. This allows you to ask companies to completely delete your data. Everyone should adhere to that, because this is a law and no longer a guideline. At the moment, organisations only have to delete factually incorrect data.

Facebook must comply with European law

Mark Zuckerberg has stated that Facebook will adhere to the new European privacy law. You can, after removing your Facebook account, ask to delete all of your known Facebook data. The social network is legally obliged to offer that option (in EU, that is).