Backup and delete your Instagram account

For a while I had the idea that I need an account on all social media platforms in order to stay up to date. But as many other did, I grew tired of social media. Not only tired, but also bothered of having my personal data sold. Facebook is the elephant in the room. Not only have the failed to moderate their content properly, but they also showed an in-compliance with their own terms. This platform is no longer about connecting people, it is all about connecting data points and make it more useful for advertiser. The deal of getting social interaction and provide data in exchange has turned for the worse. I firmly believe that social media companies do not have a sustainable business model and therefore should not be supported.

The deal of getting social interaction and provide data in exchange has turned for the worse.

So why am I deleting Instagram? First of all I already deleted my Facebook account and second Instagram is owned by Facebook and therefore the same product.

The fear of missing out

There is this irrational fear of missing out once you are no longer on a social media platform. But I think the gains I had from using social media were merely an illusion of experiencing social interaction. The content peaks once interest, but never lasts to an actual action. And this simple argument should be enough to ditch social media.

Backup

Of course I don’t want to loose all the pictures/memories I have uploaded to Instagram. Therefore I need a backup.

A data request that contains all your images can be filed here: https://www.instagram.com/download/request/. Simply submit your email and you receive a link where you can download the content.

Delete

By default Instagram does not show any option to delete an account. Only a temporary deactivation is provided in the settings. This is bad practice. However, under the following link https://www.instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/ you get access to a hidden page where you can order a deletion of the account.

Thats it. Next will be Whatsapp and Twitter 😊