It’s been a hellish 5 days. Paypal, Twitter, Instagram, Gmail, google, Microsoft accounts hacked.
I managed to quickly resolve every account issue, but Facebook won’t give me my account back.
Watch or listen to my video and I’ll explain what happened to me.
In the meantime I am going to do everything I can to get my FB account back. I refuse to accept it cannot be given back to me.
Here is an open letter to Facebook:
An Open Letter to Facebook: Reinstate Unjustly Disabled Accounts and Refine Your Community Standards
Dear Facebook,
I write to you today, not just as a user, but as a representation of the hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals who have found themselves in a similar situation. With an account disabled and no efficient means of redress, I’ve found myself the victim of a systemic flaw in your account security measures and appeal process.
My Facebook account (facebook.com/markylyford), a digital hub of personal memories, cherished connections, and business endeavours spanning over 13 years, was abruptly disabled following a clear and evident case of hacking. The malicious actor modified my profile, including my name and profile photo, from an IP address located in Singapore—a stark deviation from my usual login activities.
Despite this clear indication of an unauthorised intrusion, I was taken aback to receive a notification stating my account doesn’t adhere to your Community Standards on account integrity and authentic identity. Further adding to my consternation is the unilateral declaration that the disabling of my account is not subject to another review, rendering me helpless in the face of this unjust action.
Facebook, in its vast expanse, has played an integral role in shaping our digital reality. You have connected people across borders, built communities, and provided platforms for businesses to flourish. But the arbitrary disabling of accounts—especially those victimised by cyber-attacks—raises serious questions about your user protection measures and commitment to authentic identity.
It is a chilling reality that the victims of hacking—already disadvantaged—are further penalised by your system’s failure to recognise the legitimacy of our predicament. Even more egregious is the inability to appeal such a decision or engage in a meaningful dialogue about our concerns. This paints a disheartening picture, one that implies a disregard for your users and their genuine issues.
I recognise that Facebook, like any platform of its scale, must implement robust policies to maintain its integrity. But these policies should not be myopic, nor should they lack the flexibility needed to address exceptions and complexities. Cases like mine, where accounts are hijacked despite best efforts to maintain security, should be treated with empathy, understanding, and due diligence.
In the light of this predicament, I urge you to reconsider your position on such matters and provide users a fair chance to recover their unjustly disabled accounts. This is more than just a digital profile; it’s years of interactions, personal milestones, and entrepreneurial progress at stake. Your users deserve better security, a more compassionate response, and a fair and transparent appeals process.
As I pen this letter and share my experience publicly, I am aware that I am not alone in this experience. It’s high time that Facebook addressed this recurrent issue that casts a shadow on your platform’s reputation. I hope this open letter can trigger much-needed conversations, changes, and ultimately, better treatment of the people who use your platform.
We, the Facebook community, urge you to:
- Implement more robust protection measures to prevent account hijacking.
- Refine your community standards to acknowledge and accommodate instances of hacking.
- Allow for a fair, efficient, and transparent appeal process for disabled accounts.
- Facilitate direct communication channels where users can voice their grievances and concerns.
- Facebook, it’s your users who make your platform vibrant and relevant. It’s time you made your policies and procedures just as user-friendly. It’s time for change.
Sincerely,
Mark Lyford