AARP Hearing Center
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AARP members and readers are invited to submit pressing technology questions they’d like me to tackle in my Tech Guru column, including issues around devices, security, social media and how all the puzzle pieces fit together. This week, I’m addressing a reader concern about a ban from Facebook and Instagram that the reader says is unwarranted.
I hope you can offer advice or an explanation for the suspension, then permanent closure, of both my Facebook and Instagram accounts. I followed the instructions for appeal; within minutes, I received [a] message saying that I was permanently banned.
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It has been impossible to get any information on what prompted this action. I didn’t receive any warnings on Facebook or Instagram prior to my suspension. ... I have been told to just sign up again using another email address. I am just really aggravated that this happened! And feel powerless that there doesn’t seem to be a pathway for finding out what caused it. —Andrea W.
Andrea, I don’t have the specific answer to why Meta, whose platforms include Facebook and Instagram as well as Messenger, Threads and WhatsApp, acted as it did in your case, apart from the company’s contention, in the screenshots you shared with me, that your account did not adhere to its “community standards.” While I’m not in a position to judge the merits of your situation, I certainly understand why you are upset.
What I can say is you are not alone. There’ve been several media reports in recent months of supposedly wrongful bans of Facebook and Instagram accounts. Like you, some people were apparently unable to get their accounts reinstated on appeal, with a company-issued denial arriving in minutes.
No matter your political leanings or beliefs, it’s no secret that social media can be a toxic place, and a haven for scammers, predators and people bent on spreading misinformation.
Around 4 billion people use at least one of Meta’s core platforms, according to Statista, and for sure some are bad actors.
AI plays a role
Meta certainly has been cracking down lately on accounts it deems inappropriate. This past summer, it removed more than 600,000 accounts purportedly linked to predatory behavior.
While Meta states that it relies on both technology and human reviewers to potentially act on content that violates its standards, it also notes that “AI technology is central to our content review process” on Instagram.
But more than 48,000 people have signed an online petition at Change.org asking to “hold Meta accountable” for “wrongfully disabling accounts with no human customer support,” and asking the company to “fix the AI” and “restore access.”
Meta indicated on the web that it “doesn’t have a general public phone number available for customer service.”
After AARP reached out, Meta requested your account information, Andrea, but there has been no further resolution of your issue, as of this writing.
Reasons for a suspension or ban
On its website, Meta says its community standards are based on feedback from people and the advice of technology, public safety and human rights experts. Bullying, harassment, hate speech and incitement to violence are explicitly against the rules and apply to all types of content, including anything generated by AI.
Folks will also be kicked off for misrepresenting their identity to deceive other people.
Meanwhile, some content is permissible for people 18 and older, or only permitted with a warning screen.
According to Meta, most offenders will receive repeated warnings and restrictions before the company disables their accounts, but not everyone. (Andrea, you’ve already stated that you did not receive such warnings.) Meta adds that it “can’t restore accounts that were disabled for severe violations.”
Facebook and Instagram use a “strike” system that depends on the severity of the objectionable content and the timing and context in which posts have been shared. After five strikes, the company states that people may be forbidden from creating new content for 30 days. But if the content that’s created is considered severe enough — child sexual exploitation, for example — accounts will be disabled after a single occurrence.
A limited time to appeal
If this happens, you will see a message when you attempt to log in to Facebook or Instagram. Meta says it will notify people if they can request another review if they believe a mistake was made.
You informed me, Andrea, that as part of your own appeal, you had to tap a “Download Your Information” button and confirm your email address, and possibly your home address and phone number. Then a camera popped up on your phone screen, and you were instructed to hold the device in front of your face and turn your face from side to side, presumably to verify you are who you say you are. Your subsequent denial from Instagram came via email within minutes.
According to Meta, people have 180 days to appeal a suspension, after which there’s no recourse for getting another review.
At that point, not only will they no longer be able to use the account, but the account will no longer be visible to anyone else.
Bonus tip: Reactivate your Facebook account
If you weren’t kicked off Facebook but deactivated your account because you were taking a break, you can return at any time, provided you still have access to the email or phone number you previously used to log in. You can also log back in via Instagram, assuming that account is in the same “Account Center” as the deactivated Facebook account. When an account is deactivated, people won’t be able to see your Facebook profile, but your photos and posts will not be deleted. You can still use Facebook Messenger, and you can use Facebook Login to log into other apps.
But a quick warning: Don’t confuse deactivating a Facebook account with deleting it, because you won’t be able to regain access to a deleted Facebook account or retrieve the information that goes bye-bye with that account. This is why Facebook gives you 30 days to change your mind before the account is truly deleted.
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