How to delete your Elance account

About deleting your Elance account

Elance was a pioneer in the online freelancing industry, connecting businesses with independent professionals for projects ranging from software development to graphic design. Following its merger with oDesk to form Upwork, many legacy users still maintain dormant Elance accounts that act as repositories for old professional resumes, work histories, and financial records.

Deleting your Elance account is a prudent step for users concerned about legacy data. Because the platform historically aggregated sensitive professional portfolios and personal identification details, leaving an account active increases your digital footprint unnecessarily. Reasons to delete your account include:

• Minimizing the risk associated with historical data breaches that affected the platform.
• Removing outdated professional history that no longer reflects your current expertise.
• Ensuring that your legacy payment methods and personal contact information are scrubbed from defunct servers.
• Preventing unauthorized access to old profiles that are no longer monitored by active users.

What happens to your data

When you initiate the deletion process, Elance’s backend systems are intended to purge your personal profile data. However, due to the migration of data to the Upwork ecosystem, users must be aware that simple deletion might not erase records held in broader company archives. Types of data typically managed by the platform include:

• Full legal names and professional aliases.
• Verified contact information, including email addresses and physical locations.
• Financial tax documentation related to freelance earnings.
• Historical job proposals and direct messages with past clients.
• Linked portfolio items and external professional links.

While personal identifiers are usually removed, some transaction logs may be retained by the company to satisfy financial regulatory requirements or internal audit procedures. Always request a confirmation email from support to verify that your account closure request has been processed.

Privacy considerations

Privacy on freelance platforms is critical because these sites aggregate data that can be used for identity theft or targeted phishing campaigns. Given the history of data leaks associated with the Elance brand, you should take the following steps to ensure your privacy:

• Audit your old profile for exposed phone numbers or private email addresses before deletion.
• Use a password manager to ensure that no other services are using the same credentials that were once associated with your Elance account.
• Request a copy of your data before deletion if you require records of your historical earnings.
• Regularly monitor your credit reports for any suspicious activity stemming from leaked credentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my Elance account if I have forgotten my password?

Yes, you must first reset your password using the 'Forgot Password' link on the login page. If you no longer have access to the associated email address, you must contact support to verify your identity before they can close the account.

Is my data deleted from Upwork if I delete my Elance account?

Since Elance migrated into the Upwork platform, you should confirm if your data was transferred. Deleting the Elance-specific profile does not always guarantee the deletion of migrated records on Upwork; you may need to close your Upwork account separately.

Will deleting my account remove my public portfolio?

Yes, once the account deletion is finalized, your public profile and portfolio pages should be rendered inaccessible and eventually removed from the site index.

How long does it take for Elance to process a deletion request?

Manual requests made through the support team can take up to 30 days to process, depending on the volume of requests and the status of your account history.

Can I reactivate my account after deletion?

Generally, account deletion is permanent. Once the database entry for your user profile is purged, you will be unable to restore your feedback ratings or work history.