Tips For Accessing Old Social Networking Profiles
Darryl Saull, April 24, 2015
If you got into the social media game over a decade ago when social profiles were just starting to gain momentum, you may have an outdated profile haunting you in the vast world of the web. If this is the case, it has the potential of causing detrimental damage to your online reputation, because those who search for you may find a profile that is no longer relevant to you or your business. Unfortunately, it's a fact of life that we forget a password or entirely forget login credentials from time to time, but there are ways to gain access to those old Myspace profiles, Facebook pages or other dated social networking accounts. It's important to search for old profiles and take them down because you don’t want internet users forming an opinion on you based on irrelevant information, and those embarrassing pictures from Spring Break '05 are the last thing you want to resurface! With that being said, check out some of the following tips to help you regain control of your online presence!
Start Searching
Begin by checking search engines to find outdated profiles because they will typically appear once you type in the right information. For example, you might search for "Frank Johnson Facebook, Frank Johnson Myspace, etc." and if you have a profile on that site, it should come back with results. Be aware that you may come across fraudulent profiles with your information all over them which will call for an increased investigation. Using a site like NameChk.com can help narrow down which profiles are associated with a specific name, so make sure you use every resource possible to track down those old social networking profiles.
Enter Login Information
After discovering those forgotten profiles, you must now try to access them for deactivation. Try every combination you can think of when logging in and if you have trouble, try resetting the password to the associated email address. This can usually solve the issue immediately and you can quickly delete or deactivate the profile.
Forgotten Email Access:
The key to accessing and/or closing down a lot of these old accounts is an email account. But what if you lost access to that old email account? Most social networking and email sites offer assistance that requires verification.
Take for instance a profile on Myspace: the social networking website recommends that you work with your email service provider to gain access to your email and then retrieve the information you need for the Myspace profile. Myspace even created a handy list of common email provider password reset links that will help you regain access to your old email. This list can be extremely helpful in shutting down a myriad of different web accounts you may have regretfully opened over the years. If you can’t gain access to MySpace through an old email address, then you can fill out a declaration of ownership form and select the delete profile option on the form.
If you don’t have access to an old Facebook page that you want to delete, then you may need a little help from your friends. If you click “forgot your password,” Facebook will allow you to try to find your account. You’ll receive an URL that contains a security code that only your trusted contacts can access. You’ll then have to call one of your close friends to give them the url so they can open the link and give you the security code.
If you are trying to close a Facebook business page, you will have to get some documentation together to prove to Facebook that you are who you say you are. You have to send them a copy of your driver's license/ID or a certificate verifying your business. Facebook will allow you to scan it and email it. In the unfortunate circumstance that someone opens an illegitimate page for your business and steals your trademark you’ll have to send your government issued trademark documentation.
As a last resort, you also can contact customer service and they will give you further instruction and assistance when it comes to gaining access. The online marketing professionals at WebiMax recommend conducting a social networking investigation, to help you so you can stay on top of your reputation. For more information and help, WebiMax can offer you the services you need for a better online presence!