This Way Out? Not Really

Just when you think you're out, Facebook pulls you back in, say wannabe ex-users who have tried in vain to delete their profiles. The site keeps archives of all profiles, unless they're manually deleted piece by piece, fanning privacy concerns already stoked by the Beacon fiasco. “It’s like the Hotel California,” one unwilling member told the New York Times. “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

That member could still be contacted through the site even after Facebook deleted most of his profile in response to an email threatening legal action. Another user said Facebook erased his profile only after he complained to the press, a UK government office, and a privacy organization. Other social networking and dating sites, in contrast, offer full-delete options. (More Facebook stories.)