How to delete or deactivate your Instagram account

Instagram is an excellent way to interact with millions of users and follow the lives of the favorite celebrities and sports personalities, but Instagram can drain your privacy even more quickly than Twitter and other social networks. Because you’re sharing pictures (which give away more information), and not character limited posts and tweets.

If you want to stop Instagram from destroying your online privacy, you have just landed at the right place.

Since Instagram gives you an option to download all of your data, make sure that you download all your shared memories beforehand.

Here is what you need to do to delete your Instagram account

img
  1. Home
  2. Internet Privacy
  3. How to delete or deactivate your Instagram account

Jump to…

How to backup all the data uploaded on Instagram account:

  1. Log in to your Instagram Account and go to your profile.
  2. Click on the hamburger icon and navigate to settings.
  3. Click "Data Download" it will ask for your email address and password. You can also click here to view data download page.
  4. Once done, your data will be sent to your email address within 24 hours.

Prepare yourself

Since you will be deleting Instagram account permenantly make sure that you tell your friends, family memeber and loved ones that you won't be available on Instagram so that you still remain connected.

How to Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account?

Step 1: Access the delete Instagram account page. Now, log in to your Instagram account via the web and not the app.

How to permanently delete your Instagram account

Step 2: Next to “Why are you deleting your account,” select the reason why you wish to delete your Instagram account from the options in the drop-down.

Delete Instagram account permanently

Step 3: Enter your password and then click on “Permanently delete my account.”

How to get rid of Instagram account

How to Temporary Disable Your Instagram Account?

You may not want to disable your Instagram account permanently for now. If so, you can delete your Instagram account temporarily by following these steps:

Step 1: Log in to your Instagram account from its website via browser as your account cannot be disabled through the app.

Delete Instagram Account

Step 2: Next, click “Edit Profile.”

Delete Instagram account temporary

Step 3: Head over to ‘Delete Your Account’

Delete Instagram profile from windows

Step 4: Click “Temporarily disable my account” at the bottom of the profile edits screen.

How to disable Instagram account

Instagram’s Privacy Policy

If you have landed here you must be wondering "how private is Instagram? Are they collecting any information besides the photos that you’re posting?" The short answer is yes. Like any other social network, they are collecting your personal information

Like Facebook, Instagram isn’t privacy friendly at all. It does collect your private information and uses this information to share targeted ads, and earn money on your behalf. Instagram is a free social network platform, and just like any other free social network platform, you’re their product!

These are the types of information that Instagram collects:

  • Your basic account information: your name, phone number, username, password, and email address.
  • Your content information: any photos, comments, and other content that you post on Instagram.
  • Your communications information: any communications between you and Instagram, which may include service emails and account notices.
  • Your contacts information: if you use Instagram’s “Find Friends” feature, Instagram will look through your contacts list and your social media accounts so it can recommend other Instagram users you might know.
  • Your device information: Instagram can use “device identifiers” to learn the type of device you’re using to access their service.
  • Your usage information: Instagram can use cookies to monitor how you’re using their service.

After collecting your information, Instagram may use it in the following ways:

  • Advertising: Instagram uses the gathered information to show you targeted ads.
  • Sharing to third parties: Since Instagram works with multiple third-parties, it is possible for them to share user data with companies they are legally a part of (Facebook, WhatsApp) and third-party advertising partners. Instagram may also be required to submit information to legal authorities so it can aid in case of an investigation.
  • Product testing: Instagram may also use the information it collects to help them develop new products and services through which they can start earning in the future.

Is Instagram Safe?

Update: It was reported in March 2019, that Facebook employees had access to passwords of 600 million Instagram users. An internal investigation was carried out by the company which concluded that passwords stored were not misused or leaked to any third party. However, it is an alarming sign for users who are concerned about their internet privacy and online freedom.

Who’s to say your account details weren’t or can’t be misused? Security experts have advised all users to take precautionary measures before it’s too late!

Apparently, Instagram is safe for use. However, the platform compromises your privacy and security making you vulnerable to external threats by hackers and cybercriminals. For e.g. a hacker can learn a lot more about you by checking out your pictures on Instagram. They can use this information to harm you and hack into your accounts or devices.

Cyberstalkers also use this information to monitor your daily activities and gather enough information so they can blackmail you or harm you in any manner.

You can read more about Instagram and its privacy policy here.

Want to reclaim your online privacy? You might want to check below guides: