'How Do I Delete My Facebook Account?' Query Soars In Popularity (PICTURE)

Facebook's latest round of changes has triggered a backlash from users, many of whom fear the site is now sharing too much of their personal information with too many.

In response, many are taking to Google to figure out how to permanently delete their Facebook accounts.

As ReadWriteWeb pointed out, "Google Suggest, the drop-down box that offers suggested search query completions based on recent upticks of popularity, now guesses that if you start typing 'How do I...' that you'd like to know how to quit Facebook." (see screenshot below)

Googling "How do I delete my Facebook account?" also returns a host of related searches at the bottom of the results page, suggesting a number of other, similar how-do-I-quit-Facebook searches have been performed:

Google Insights for Search, which tracks the popularity of search queries over time, shows a steady increase in searches for the phrase through 2009 and 2010.

Talk of quitting Facebook has escalated in recent weeks. Gizmodo has published a series of posts explaining why users should get off Facebook, and Business Insider reported that Peter Rojas (co-founder of Gdgt and Engadget) and Google's Matt Cuts both deleted their Facebook accounts.

So how do you leave Facebook? As ReadWriteWeb notes, there is an unofficial Facebook group called "How to permanently delete your Facebook account" with step-by-step instructions. In short, you should go to http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account, click submit, then wait two weeks for your account to be deactivated. Logging in to Facebook before the two weeks are up will void the deletion request.

Know another way, better way? Tell us in the comments section below.

If you want to stay on Facebook but are concerned about what information you're sharing, check out our two-minute, must-see guide on how to protect your privacy on Facebook.

Want to know more about Google Suggest? Check out more of the craziest Google Suggests here

Comments

[liveordie]

12:59 PM on 05/16/2010

Thank you. It's deleted.

[pinkpantheroz]

11:13 AM on 05/17/2010

Same here, just have to remember not to sign in ever again.

[Steve Wight]

08:14 PM on 05/14/2010

here's a site with quick easy instructions

www.www.howtodeletemyfacebookaccount.com/

[meekasop]

09:39 AM on 05/14/2010

It has always been a dream for users to start with a neo life on the web without leaving those important trails for hungry mongers to feast on. In this case a cyber stalker. Actually, the web 2.0 machine is the solution for this one. http://bit.ly/facebook-killer-eraser-unleash

[sportsgamer]

06:56 PM on 05/13/2010

Facebook is fast becoming the new loathed, hated and despised AOL of the web. A fake friendly social network that mines data. If you join, you will have personal info attached to your profile that you never even entered online. Proof positive that Facebook has right to privacy issues and is an affront to the Bill of Rights. Shame on HuffPost for their affiliation. Ditch them already.

[Mansi Bhatia]

03:37 PM on 05/13/2010

I finally deleted my Facebook account today after much deliberation. I had 401 friends -- some of whom I had helped set up Facebook accounts when they were wary of the whole "social media thing." But with their ever-changing privacy policy, I felt I had had enough. I wrote about my decision this morning on my blog: http://www.mansibhatia.com/2010/05/facebook

[nelly55]

03:28 PM on 05/13/2010

my kids pushed me into a Facebook account (so we could stay in touch more) and I hate it. It's got too much going on and the layout is difficult to navigate. Plus, I'm getting 'friend' requests from people I don't even like. Last month, on of the relatives posted pictures I was in and I really don't like that. Even if I delete my account, how do I stop people from doing that?

[PAChristianLefty]

03:57 PM on 05/13/2010

You can't. The only thing you can do is ask the people kindly to remove them, but good luck with that. Welcome to the internet.

[buddaman71]

12:50 PM on 05/13/2010

Don't post anything you would be ashamed for your parents, children or employers to see.
It's a pretty simple mantra....

[leeskyblue]

03:54 PM on 05/13/2010

Yeah, "if you got nothin' to hide then you got nothin' to hide" -- absolutely false.

Welcome to Brave New World.

[femmyror]

12:42 PM on 05/13/2010

Theres' something pathetic about people's needs to do their inane 'updates' ("doing dishes sucks", "going to a so-and-so concert tonight, yay!") – their need to be seen...

[comraderoger]

01:01 PM on 05/13/2010

Unlike, say, you who feels the need to read a blog post about a site that you apparently don't use and then to denigrate the users of said site.

Just saying.

[femmyror]

02:10 PM on 05/13/2010

I do use it actually, if increasingly reluctantly. So, given that I use it, and that I care about the privacy issues, I do feel the need to read up on it – if that's ok with you.

[BLEST]

10:30 AM on 06/08/2010

sweet

[MrBen]

10:14 AM on 05/13/2010

At this point, I'm not even really concerned about privacy (I drank pretty deeply of Google's rainbow flavor-aid, their stuff is awesome). In all its about no longer supporting bad design. Facebook is simply not very good at a lot of the things it does, they've done a couple redesigns that have helped even do the basics like manage photo albums or add pictures, but in all I'm just tired of poor design decisions and bad policies.

In a certain way I feel bad for Zuckerberg, the guy just wanted to create a place where he could rather easily cruise for campus hotties, and the thing kind of got away from him and now your grandma is on there buying pigs for her imaginary farm and friending Sarah Palin. This thing jumped the shark a while ago. Its time to put Facebook out of its misery.

[gymmy]

01:57 PM on 05/13/2010

Zuckerberg is a crook, he never created anything. Central server based social media will soon be a thing of the past.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/196017994/diaspora-the-personally-controlled-do-it-all-distr

[StuntHunt]

10:09 AM on 05/13/2010

Everything you do on the internet: facebook, porn, shopping, politics, etc., leaves a permanent trail. There is NO privacy on the internet. Get over it. If you want privacy, don't use the internet, and don't use your credit card or any other electronic media (including cell phone). It's all traceable.

[rtb61]

12:40 PM on 05/13/2010

You want privacy, simple, become political active and force politicians to enact laws to ensure corporations will respect the privacy of citizens. Data mining, psychological targeted adds, marketing manipulation from childhood, create laws to put an end to the all. Advertising was only accepted as a means by which to inform the public about a companies products not as a means by which to manipulate their choices. Privacy is a simple a forcing the appropriate legislation to guarantee it.

[Palito]

09:57 AM on 05/13/2010

It's my understanding that any personal data posted on Facebook belongs to them and even if you delete your account your data will remain in their servers permanently for their use.

[MrBen]

10:08 AM on 05/13/2010

Its quite probable that whatever data you "share" is made available for Facebook to use or access or sell. But I can't imagine if, a few months or years down the road they have a bunch of "dead data" (that is user profiles that are inactive for a long time) that it will be worth much to anyone. Personally, I don't mind leaving a little "signpost" of a profile on FB, at least for the near future- I feel like deleting outright would be a little harsh to all the old friends and fam. But I am definitely being more selective and not having all my info in one place. If I want to share pics, i'll go to flickr or picasa, if i want basic social blathering/status updates, I have Twitter, and I feel like with better phone designs I can interact with more people through chat or texts or whatever. Hell, even my Xbox 360 can keep me connected. Things are getting more diverse.

[murphyj87]

06:40 PM on 05/13/2010

It was that way until the Canadian Privacy Commissioner had it, among other things, changed. She is taking thm on again now.

http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2009/nr-c_090827_e.cfm

http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/nr-c_100127_e.cfm

[satyamg]

09:56 AM on 05/13/2010

Dear ex boyfriend:

Your new love interest looks like me and you are saying and doing the same things you did with me...so you are no longer "single" but are in a "relationship" and many of our mutual friend "like"
that even though they know you hurt me terribly..may be you think I have mnoved on but splashing your happiness on FB for all to see seems some what cruel..
Once I was your closest friend, privy to your most intimate thoughts and feelings and now I am not your friend and those who you have not seen or heard from for years are one of your 290 friends..You lucky fellow...What is a friend anyway?

[chaya]

09:44 AM on 05/13/2010

I don't get it. Early on in the life of the Internet I was incautious, having no idea that my deepest thoughts, opinions, and some of my feelings as well would end up plastered all over the Internet and accessed by search machines for eternity. So now I feel plenty annoyed by it.

But this is today, when everybody knows that's what will happen--much like we knew in simpler times that if we went down to the town plaza or square or grange or whatever and do something incredibly embarrassing, the townspeople would never, ever forget it.

This is true of the entire Internet. So why are people mad specifically at Facebook? It seems to me that if you join Facebook, you don't actually value your privacy a whole lot in the first place.

[robozz]

09:15 AM on 05/13/2010

"How many freinds to I really have? I can count them on one hand..." - The Who

[Thaigold]

08:56 AM on 05/13/2010

The question is; do you really need Facebook. I've already deleted my account. They say it takes 14-days. So, in a fortnight I will be back. If my password works, then my trust attorney will file a complaint in California for invasion of privacy, among a litany of other complaints.

[General Public]

09:25 AM on 05/13/2010

Funny... I've noticed a bunch of my friends on Facebook deleted their accounts, then created new accounts and friended me again. Or sometimes Facebook deletes their accounts after other Facebook users falsely accuse them of being "abusive" in how they use Facebook (when the accusers are actually the ones who are abusive in their use of Facebook, getting the site to delete legitimate users they dislike). Well actually I only saw that happen once, but I'm sure it's happened other times. YouTube deletes legitimate users all the time after receiving silly complaints. Almost half my YouTube friends have had their accounts suspended, and I've personally almost had mine suspended because of YouTube's stupidity. YouTube is far too overzealous in its Puritanical censorship of things it thinks shouldn't be seen and its misinterpretation of copyright laws such as the DMCA. Oh, and it's not a good idea to mention what state you are from here if you wish to maintain anonymity and privacy. I am sure Facebook can afford the best lawyers... good luck!