'There is a problem': Meta users complain of being shut out of their accounts
45 minutes ago Share Save Graham Fraser & Imran Rahman-Jones Technology reporters Share Save
Brittany Watson Brittany Watson started the petition calling for Meta to answer for banning people's accounts
Meta blamed a "technical error" when, last week, it admitted wrongly suspending some Facebook Groups. Since then, users of the world's most popular social media platform have got in touch with the BBC to say how, for them, it is much more than a technical issue. Some say they have been shut out of pages that are key to their working lives, while others highlight the digital connections to loved ones that have been cut. As well as anger, there is frustration that - despite Meta saying it is fixing the problem - there is often no human to speak to about an issue they suspect is caused by moderation decisions powered by artificial intelligence (AI). They have also described how Instagram accounts have been affected, despite Meta saying it does not have evidence of a problem on its platforms more widely. However, more than 25,000 people have signed a petition in the last few weeks which says the problem is being experienced across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Reddit forums are dedicated to the subject, many users are posting on social media about being banned by Meta, and some say they plan on taking a class action lawsuit against the social media giant. Here's what people have told the BBC about what it means to them to be locked out of their social media accounts.
'More than just an app'
The online petition about this issue was started by Brittany Watson, a 32-year-old from Ontario, in Canada. She decided to act after her Facebook account was disabled for nine days in May before it was reinstated. She claims her page was cancelled over "account integrity", and Meta has not provided her with any answers as to why. "Facebook wasn't just an app for me," she told BBC News. "It was where I kept years of memories, connected with family and friends, followed pages that brought me joy, and found support communities for mental health."
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When her account was banned, Brittany said she felt "ashamed, embarrassed and anxiety-stricken". "The weight of feeling exiled from everyone takes a pretty strong hold on you," she added. She quickly discovered she wasn't the only one affected - thousands have signed the petition she started. "There is a problem - it is personal accounts, it is business accounts, Facebook pages and Groups. I can't believe they [Meta] are only saying it is just Groups." Meta has told BBC News that it takes action on accounts that violate our policies, and "people can appeal if they think we've made a mistake". It has also outlined in detail how it moderates accounts using a combination of people and technology to find and remove accounts that broke its rules. It says it is not aware of a spike in erroneous account suspension.
'There is no customer service'
John Dale John Dale ran a group with over 5,000 followers
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