LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking platforms, with over 800 million users worldwide. However, there may come a time when you want to delete your LinkedIn account, but have forgotten both your password and the email associated with the account.
Without access to either your password or email, deleting your LinkedIn account can be challenging. But don’t worry – with some persistence and by following certain steps, it is possible to permanently delete your LinkedIn account even if you’ve forgotten your login credentials.
Try resetting your password first
Before attempting to delete your LinkedIn account without access, first try resetting your password. Here are some things you can try:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and click “Forgot password”. Attempt to reset your password by having a reset link sent to any email you have access to that may be associated with the account.
- If you have your phone number associated with your account, try resetting your password via SMS text message verification.
- Think back carefully and retrace your steps – are there any old emails you used to use that could potentially be associated with this LinkedIn account? Try having a reset link sent to any emails you may have previously used.
If you are able to successfully reset your LinkedIn password through one of these methods, you can then log into your account and delete it through the standard process.
Verify account ownership
If you are unable to reset your LinkedIn password because you no longer have access to the associated email, the next step is to verify ownership of the account. Here are some options for proving you are the account owner:
- If you have associated your mobile phone number with your LinkedIn account, you may be able to verify account ownership via SMS text message code.
- LinkedIn may be able to use other details, such as your name, location, company and connections to verify identity. Be prepared to provide as many verifiable details about the account as you can recall.
- As a last resort, LinkedIn may require you to provide government-issued ID to establish account ownership.
Contact LinkedIn’s customer support through their help page and explain that you wish to delete the account but no longer have access to the login credentials. Providing the above details may allow them to confirm you are the account owner.
Request account deletion
Once you’ve established ownership of the account to LinkedIn’s satisfaction, explicitly request permanent closure and deletion of your account. Explain clearly that you do not wish to reactivate the account, only to have it completely removed.
Under the EU’s GDPR regulations, users have a “right to erasure” and can request their personal data be deleted. If you reside in the EU, mentioning GDPR may help prompt LinkedIn to delete the account.
Be persistent yet polite – you may need to reiterate your request several times via multiple channels like email, live chat and phone calls before LinkedIn agrees to delete the account without password access. Providing more verifiable details about the account can help speed up the process.
Try alternative verification methods
If LinkedIn is unable to verify account ownership through the methods above, keep trying alternative options:
- Ask contacts in your LinkedIn network to report your profile for impersonation, backing up your claim of ownership.
- If you have ever provided LinkedIn a photo ID, remind them of this prior verification.
- Suggest mutual connections who may be able to vouch for your identity.
- Provide LinkedIn with prior addresses, employment details, contacts and other historical verification points.
The more evidence you can provide to prove you are the legitimate account owner, the more likely LinkedIn will be to permanently delete the account even without your login credentials.
File a legal request
If you have exhausted all other options, the last resort is to engage legal counsel and have them file an official legal request for account deletion on your behalf. The letter should outline:
- You are the legitimate owner of the account
- You have irretrievably lost access to the login credentials
- You have made every effort to verify your identity already
- You formally request permanent deletion under right of erasure laws
- You will pursue legal action if the request is not met
To avoid further legal complications, LinkedIn will likely comply with a formal legal request and permanently delete your inaccessible account.
Prevent future issues
To avoid this hassle in the future, be sure to:
- Set up secondary email and password reset options for all accounts.
- Keep old email addresses active if they are tied to accounts.
- Regularly update and confirm your email, password and recovery options.
- Use a password manager to track login credentials.
Conclusion
While tricky, deleting a LinkedIn account without access is possible by verifying your identity and persistently requesting removal. Prevent future issues by keeping login details safe and recovery options updated. With determination and patience, you can permanently erase a LinkedIn profile even without the password or email.
