Facebook is the leading social media network around the globe where users can connect with co-workers, friends, and family to upload pictures, review profiles and statuses, and interact with people virtually. Facebook is used by billions of people around the globe. In fact, CNBC reported in October 2014 that Facebook users exceeded the population of China: 1.25 billion people and 1/7th of the world’s population has an active account.

In light of multiple cyber security attacks Facebook has been under scrutiny for privacy settings, and potentially selling user information. As a result of this, many people are choosing to deactivate their Facebook accounts. Others find Facebook to be a time suck, resulting in the desire to cancel their account. If you wish to delete or deactivate your Facebook account simply follow these instructions, but please note that Facebook protocols can change and there's no better substitute than their own Terms of Use:

What You’ll Need

• Your Facebook login information
• Access to a computer

Steps to Delete Your Facebook Page

1. Navigate to www.Facebook.com.
2. Login to your Facebook account using your email and password.
3. Visit the "Delete Account" page. You can also follow this link. Click the “Delete my Account” button to start the account deletion process. 
4. Follow the steps listed on the page. Confirm that you want to delete your account versus deactivate it. 
5. At the bottom of the screen, click "Delete Account".
6. Congrats! Now you are Facebook free.

Steps to Deactivate Your Facebook Page

1. Navigate to www.Facebook.com.
2. Login to your Facebook account using your email and password.
3. Once you’re logged on, navigate to the Settings. In the upper right area of the webpage, find the downward-pointing triangle. This will take you to "Account Settings". 
4. From there, click on the Security icon (golden icon). At the bottom of the "Security Settings" page, you’ll see text that reads “Deactivate Your Account”. Click on that and follow the instructions to temporarily deactivate your account.

Expert Tip

Once you have deleted your account you can’t retrieve anything, therefore you’ll want to download a copy of your information. To do this, navigate to this page and follow the steps listed on the page. 

Once you delete your Facebook account, your profile will no longer be accessed on Facebook, and you will not be found in Facebook search results. However, it may take 90 days. If you have any questions about this process, feel free to ask questions in the comment section below. 

If this process sounds overly tricky, let CancelWizard cancel your account for you.