LinkedIn: how to delete your account

We are becoming increasingly sensitive to the data social networks have about us. And LinkedIn, as a professional social network, has accumulated more and more over the years: our complete professional history, our first and last name, contact information such as phone or e-mail… It’s almost become the largest platform. database about us. And since LinkedIn is now owned by Microsoft, the use of this data can be quite alarming. And that’s without counting the hacking attacks that are common on the platform.

Fortunately, it’s always possible to stop all this and do some kind of big data detox. There is no possible half-measure: simply delete everything definitively. If LinkedIn is no longer of your professional interest, or if you want to go back to the good old days of shaking hands to find your next job or your next clients, we’ll help you disconnect from the social network altogether.

Permanently delete your LinkedIn account

To delete your LinkedIn account, on a computer, go to the site itself and log in to your account. Afterwards:

1. Click on the “You” category at the top right where your image appears
2. In “Account”, click “Preferences and privacy”
3. Click “Close account” at the bottom of the page
4. LinkedIn will ask you to explain why. It is up to you whether to answer or not.
5. When finished, click “Next”
6. Enter your password one last time to confirm

Note that, like most social networks, account deletion is not instantaneous. LinkedIn gives you up to 20 days to log back into your account, which will reactivate your profile at the same time.

If you have made a good decision, you will also need to be patient. It takes a few weeks for your LinkedIn profile to truly disappear from the internet and most search engines, especially those that index it on their platforms like Google. However, it is only a matter of time: After this short period of time, your data will be deleted without further ado.