To delete old social media content, open each account's activity log, filter by date or content type, then delete, archive or restrict anything that should no longer be public. Deleting a post does not immediately remove it from Google.
At a glance
- An old public post can still appear when a recruiter, client or acquaintance searches for you.
- A useful sequence: list your accounts, export your archives, decide what to keep, restrict or delete, then check Google again.
- Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and X: Social Pro guided review, €9.99 one-off payment for 5 cycles. Check the current offer for details.
- Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest, Threads, Discord and messaging apps: use their activity tools and official help.
- For something posted by another person, report it to the platform first. The CNIL explains this route.
Why old posts follow you
Platforms retain much more than a profile picture. Posts, saved stories, comments, likes, lists, follows and searches can remain accessible even when you have forgotten them. A public post from ten years ago can still appear in a name search, a shared link or a screenshot.
Three situations are particularly common:
- Recruitment or clients. A joke, photo or comment creates an impression you no longer want to give.
- Life changes. An old relationship, employer or city is still visible.
- Search indexing. The post is gone from your feed, but its URL or a snippet remains on Google.
Deleting everything is not always the best response. Private memories, useful posts and a portfolio may be worth keeping. The aim is to remove what works against you, not erase your entire online life.
The method: list, export, review, check
Menus change. The basic approach remains similar across platforms.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. List | Record every open account, including old usernames | A second Facebook account or old Reddit profile is easy to forget |
| 2. Export | Request the official archive where available | It can reveal posts, comments and activity missing from the main feed |
| 3. Review | Keep, restrict or delete | “Everything before 2018” can also remove useful material |
| 4. Check | Search your name and public-post URLs on Google again | Search removal is a separate step |
Before deleting in bulk, save what you want to keep using the official export. For YouTube, Facebook, Reddit and X, Social Pro uses an archive or official API, organises supported items by risk and leaves the decision with you.
Facebook often contains a large volume of posts, photos, comments, likes, groups, events and searches.
- Open Settings and privacy, then find Activity log or the relevant information section. The official activity log guide explains filtering.
- Filter by posts, comments, likes or photos, then by year.
- For a post, choose the available Trash, Hide or audience-restriction option. Hiding is not deletion.
- For a large history, request a copy of your information first. The official archive may show activity you no longer see in your feed.
Old likes and comments are easy to miss. They may resurface when someone opens your profile or follows a reaction. If another person posted a photo of you, use the platform's reporting options as well as reviewing your own posts.
What Data Knight reviews on Facebook
- Supported posts, comments, likes and photos
- High / medium / low risk grouping
- Items to consider removing without deleting everything
YouTube
YouTube keeps videos, comments, likes, playlists and viewing activity. An old comment under a popular video can remain visible for years.
- For your videos, open YouTube Studio > Content. Delete a video or set it to Unlisted or Private if you want to keep it. Unlisted videos remain accessible to people with the link.
- For comments you have posted, open your YouTube comment history through your account activity. Studio's comment tools also manage comments on your channel.
- For likes and history, use your Google account's Data and privacy controls or download your YouTube data.
- A previously indexed public video may remain in search results until Google updates them. Check the appropriate search-removal route if it still appears for your name.
Of the four supported platforms, YouTube is the one where Social Pro can delete certain compatible items through Google's official API, with your consent and without your YouTube password. It is not a “delete everything” button. You approve the actions.
What Data Knight reviews on YouTube
- Supported videos, comments and likes
- High / medium / low risk grouping
- Guided removal of compatible items
Reddit combines posts, comments, votes and lists. An old comment can remain public until you remove it, and your profile presents your posting history.
- Open your profile, then Posts and Comments.
- Delete selected items, or edit overly specific personal details such as your city, employer or name if appropriate.
- Request a copy of your Reddit data through the account help tools to review activity that is harder to find in the interface.
- Check the subreddits where you used a username closely tied to your real identity.
Do not assume an account-deletion option also deletes every post. Tools that automate the website interface may run into anti-bot controls or account restrictions. An official archive followed by a targeted review is a more controlled approach.
What Data Knight reviews on Reddit
- Posts and comments
- High / medium / low risk grouping
- Links to take action on the platform, without your password
X, formerly Twitter
X retains posts, replies, likes, media and messages according to its account and retention rules. A post from 2014 may still be quoted, screenshotted or indexed.
- Open Settings > Your account > Download an archive of your data. Preparation can take time.
- Review posts and replies on your profile. Deleting a post does not necessarily remove quotes, screenshots or copies.
- Use a protected account if you want to restrict your audience. This does not erase copies made while the content was public.
- Search for your handle and name on Google again. Previously indexed public posts can need a separate search-removal step.
Be cautious with software that signs into the web interface and clicks for you. Unauthorised automation can lead to account restrictions.
What Data Knight reviews on X
- Supported posts, replies and likes
- High / medium / low risk grouping
- A guided review based on your official archive
Instagram, TikTok and other platforms
Social Pro does not currently cover Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn or Discord. Use the platforms' own tools to review and remove your data. Menu names and available batch actions can vary by version.
Instagram content is often copied outside the platform through screenshots, reposts and image search.
- Open your profile > Your activity > Photos and videos, or Interactions for likes and comments.
- Select the relevant items, then Delete where available. Archive removes supported posts from your profile without permanently deleting them.
- Review saved stories, Reels and comments under other accounts' posts as well.
- Download your information through Accounts Centre if you want an inventory before reviewing it.
A private account restricts what strangers can see on the platform. It does not remove existing copies or mentions by other people. See removing a profile from search.
TikTok
- Open a video on your profile, then use its options menu to Delete it.
- Find Download your data in account settings to request available account activity.
- Review comments you left on other videos. They may disclose more than a forgotten video on your own profile.
- Sounds, duets, stitches and copies may remain in other creators' content. Report or request removal where appropriate.
LinkedIn cleanup usually concerns posts, comments and outdated professional information.
- Open Activity on your profile to find posts and comments.
- Review Settings > Visibility: your posts, connections, photo and public profile's search visibility.
- Remove outdated experience or an overly personal recommendation if it should no longer be displayed.
- You do not need to close the account for routine cleanup. Updating the profile and addressing search visibility may be enough.
For the “a recruiter is searching my name” situation, read our guide to online reputation management.
Snapchat
Everyday Snaps may be temporary, but Memories, saved stories, Spotlight posts and public profiles need separate attention.
- In Memories, select and delete items you no longer want stored.
- Use My Data in account settings to request a copy of your information.
- Review public stories and Spotlight content through your profile.
- A recipient may already have saved a copy of a Snap. You do not control that copy.
Pinterest, Threads and BeReal
- Pinterest: review Pins and boards. Delete or archive items that expose an address, school or other personal detail. Secret boards remain within your account.
- Threads: review posts, replies and privacy settings separately. Changing Instagram's privacy settings does not automatically review your Threads content.
- BeReal: check memories and profile visibility. Remove posts that disclose your home, a number plate or children when you no longer want them stored or shared.
Discord, Twitch and Bluesky
- Discord: messages remain within servers or conversations until removed under the platform's rules. You can delete your own messages; copies or server logs may exist elsewhere. Leaving a server does not itself erase your past messages.
- Twitch: review videos and clips using the creator tools. Check the moderation controls for clips of your channel as well as content you created. Copies elsewhere need separate handling.
- Bluesky: review posts and replies on your profile and available account export tools. Public content can be copied and indexed, regardless of how visible it currently seems in Google.
WhatsApp and Telegram
Messaging apps differ from public posting platforms. Pay attention to statuses, groups, bios and forwarded files.
- WhatsApp: statuses normally expire after 24 hours, but screenshots can remain. Check your profile photo, About information and groups where your number is visible. Your contacts may retain conversations.
- Telegram: review your bio, stories, public groups and saved messages. A public channel post can circulate like any public post. Delete unnecessary sensitive files from Saved Messages and review old public contributions; leaving a channel alone does not remove them.
What deleting a post does not solve
Removing content at its source is a useful first step. Other copies and exposure may remain.
- Google may still display an old URL or snippet. Depending on the situation, use a personal-content removal request, an outdated-content refresh or delisting.
- Copies: screenshots, reposts, articles and forums require requests to the relevant publisher or host, with search removal considered separately.
- Brokers and people-search sites: names, numbers and addresses also circulate outside social networks. An assessment can identify supported findings before you choose eligible removal requests.
- Someone else's archive: a friend, forum or newsletter may hold a copy. Start with the responsible publisher, as the CNIL guidance above explains.
Compare review and removal tools in our 2026 comparison. For the web beyond social networks, read removing your online traces.
Want to turn years of Facebook, YouTube, Reddit or X history into a list of priorities? Open the Social Hub.
Official sources: CNIL: removing information from a social network · Facebook activity log · Google data export · X archive download · Reddit data request.
