If you are concerned about sharing too much online, perhaps you should delete or deactivate your social media accounts. You will learn how to delete your Instagram account in this blog permanently.

Different Concerns on Instagram

Like its parent company Facebook, Instagram has also been involved in several privacy scandals. According to a report from late 2018, Instagram’s ‘Download Your Data’ feature had a security flaw that exposed users’ passwords in plain text. Despite implementing security to improve and protect user data, this feature intrudes upon privacy. Additionally, Instagram implemented the update to provide users with some peace of mind following the Cambridge Analytica leak.

When the password leak was reported, Instagram informed users that it had quickly resolved the issue to protect only a few users. In Instagram, for example, unless you manually turn off its location tracking feature, the default setting automatically tracks your location. Based on this information, advertisers can show you ads based on your frequented places. Additionally, Instagram shares your activity in the app – such as likes, comments, and story interactions – with other Instagram users.

A new version of their DM service came out in early 2018. People were upset about the ‘seen’ or the ‘typing bubble’ notifications and the status activity notifications. Now, Instagram tells you when others are online, as well as when they last logged in. Account settings provide a way to disable this feature by selecting the section entitled ‘Privacy & Security. 

Deactivating vs. Deleting: Know the differences

You can deactivate or permanently delete your Instagram account, depending on your preferences.

Although you are temporarily deactivating your account, other users will not be able to see your profile, followers, photos, likes, or comments while you are deactivated. Restoring all of this information and accessing Instagram normally again can be accomplished by logging into your account.

Your entire Instagram account will be deleted when you delete it. This includes your photos, followers, likes, etc. You can not recover Instagram account once you delete it. You will never be able to use the same username again if you choose to join Instagram again in the future.

Deactivating an Instagram account

Through the app, you cannot deactivate Instagram; you must do so through the Instagram website. Here are the steps you can take to deactivate your Instagram account if you want to take a break from it:

• You can find your profile page by logging into your Instagram account and clicking on the person icon.
• Select ‘Edit Profile,’ scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click ‘Temporarily disable my account.’
• Instagram will ask you a question, “Why are you disabling your account?” Using the drop-down menu, select the reason you wish to use.
• Click on the ‘Temporarily disable account’ option after entering your password again.
• Until you log in again, your account will be deactivated and hidden from other users. Please note that Instagram allows only one deactivation per week by its usage policy.

Downloading your Instagram data

Your Instagram account data is permanently deleted – it cannot be retrieved after you delete it. If you decide to delete your Instagram account, you might want to download all the photos, videos, etc., that you have shared. You can download a copy of your Instagram data by following these steps:

• You can access the settings for your Instagram profile by clicking the gear icon (gear icon).
• Select ‘Privacy & Security’ and click the ‘Request Download’ link.
• You must first enter your password to view your Instagram data and then the email address to receive the link.
• In 48 hours, you’ll receive an email titled “Your Instagram Data”, which contains a link to your data. You can download data by clicking the ‘Download Data’ button.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Delete Your Instagram Account

In the same way that Instagram accounts can be deactivated, they can also be removed through the web browser. The steps below will help you delete your Instagram account permanently:

• Visit the Instagram website and log in.
• To delete your Instagram account, go to the ‘Delete Your Account’ page. Choose your reason for leaving from the drop-down menu.
• Delete your account permanently by entering your password and clicking ‘permanently delete my account.’
• Now Instagram deletes your account permanently.

What else can you do to keep your data private?

It is common for us to use online storage services for backing up data and storing files. Choose a storage service that automatically encrypts your files if you use one of these. Since the cloud providers hold the encryption keys for your data, that data may even be accessible to government authorities. 

Encrypt your files manually before uploading them to the cloud to get around this issue. As a result, only you hold the key to your data. Your cloud provider will not have access as long as you don’t also upload the encryption keys to the cloud.

Even though you may have no prior experience with manual encryption, several free encryption programs are available today. Your encryption software should run on both your computer and mobile devices, as well as on your provider’s cloud storage. It is also essential that your encryption program has end-to-end encryption, as well as never storing your password.

Conclusion

Digital social media platforms like Instagram are prevalent. However, it is worth noting that this social media giant can be pretty addictive; it can even negatively affect a person’s mental health if they are constantly active. In users’ minds, seeing others’ happy posts very often leads to a feeling of comparison, which then begins to create insecurity. 

Users’ mental well-being and relationship is ultimately affected by this. Instagram users can tone down their digital habits while also digitally detoxing by taking a weekend break from the internet.