It’s been a rough few weeks for Facebook’s execs. Instagram lost its founders last week, and after a new CEO for the image-sharing platform was appointed, the app crashed worldwide for an hour (probably not related, but still embarrassing). Oh, and there was a massive hack of over 50 million users’ accounts on Facebook.

While Facebook tries to figure out exactly what user data may have been stolen, they decided to make it even harder for users to leave the platform. Because when the folks you may have caused losses for attempt to leave, you just lock the doors, right? Facebook is extending account deletion grace periods from two weeks to a month, according to a post on The Verge yesterday.

If you’re not really familiar with Facebook account deletion, here’s how it works. When you attempt to delete your Facebook, they hold on to your data ‘for safekeeping’ while you decide whether you are sure about this decision. Some users have an intense urge to check up on the daily lives of their friends (and enemies), so… there is a possibility you’ll be back. And Facebook’s banking on that.

Previously, Facebook would hang onto your data for 14 days before hard deleting it (or, at least, preventing you getting to it again, so that should you decide you want to rejoin the platform, you’ll have to start all over). Now Facebook has decided that users need a month to make doubly sure they want to leave the platform — which means those trying to delete their profiles will need to exercise self-restraint and not log in for a month in order to have it vanish.

A Facebook spokesperson says that “We’ve seen people try to log in to accounts they’ve opted to delete after the 14-day period. The increase gives people more time to make a fully informed choice.”

We don’t know whether this extension was finalised by the social network before or after the more recent hack, but it does seem mighty convenient now when users may considering escaping Facebook’s internet-spanning clutches.

Source: The Verge