Opinion: I was hacked. But that was just the beginning

Numerous users shared their stories of automated enforcement locking them out of their accounts with no meaningful way to appeal or get support and the loss of business, memories, connections and community. — Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

While I know everyone in our modern age can be vulnerable, I didn’t think I would get hacked.

When I started this job I knew journalists – particularly women and people of colour – are regularly targeted online, so I took a number of digital precautions. I use two-factor authentication and complex passwords. I pay for services to protect myself online.

But nonetheless, on the night of March 16, I was jolted awake by a call from a loved one alerting me that my Facebook account had been taken over — I suspect as a result of phishing. In my groggy state I looked at my phone and to my shock saw dozens of frantic texts, calls, messages from friends and colleagues across the country.

My Facebook account was flooded with some of the most horrific images I have ever seen online. I immediately focused on deactivating my account so the images would not appear for anyone. I also discovered multiple other accounts had been set up in my name and with my picture on Facebook and Instagram.

At the beginning I was still foolishly under the impression that as the victim of a hack, there would be someone at Facebook to help me. But I was unfortunately very, very wrong.

The next day, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, suspended my Facebook and Instagram accounts for violations of “community standards” due to the content of the hacked posts. I filed an appeal on March 19 and received an automated message saying that it usually takes a day to review and if the account was found to follow community standards, I would be able to use it again. If not, “it will be permanently disabled and you won’t be able to appeal again.”

Nearly a month later, I have followed the steps from Meta I found online, including a “video selfie” to prove my identity, but have heard nothing other than another automated message to submit the appeal I had already submitted. I've joined many others in the black hole of futility and frustration that is human support at Meta, but also learned that my situation was not at all unique.

In 2024, a coalition of 41 state attorneys general – including then-Washington AG Bob Ferguson – sent a damning letter to Meta after seeing a spike in complaints to “request immediate action to address the dramatic increase in user account takeovers and lockouts.

The AGs wrote that while this was not a new phenomenon, “the frequency and persistence of account takeovers on Meta-owned platforms puts it in a league of its own.” The New York attorney general said the number of takeover complaints it received increased tenfold between 2019 and 2023. The letter said that while they can’t be certain of a connection, it was notable that the increase happened around the same time as massive layoffs at Meta, reportedly focused on the “security and privacy and integrity sector.”

The attorneys general asked for action from Meta, writing, “We refuse to operate as the customer service representatives of your company.”

But since then, the layoffs have only continued at Meta.

As an end user, trying to get your account back after a hack or an unexplained suspension can feel like a David and Goliath battle. But some people are trying to collectively fight back.

Last year, a Change.org petition to “hold big tech accountable for wrongful account disabling,” garnered 60,000 signatures and morphed into a Canadian nonprofit called People Over Platforms. Numerous users shared their stories of automated enforcement locking them out of their accounts with no meaningful way to appeal or get support and the loss of business, memories, connections and community.

In March, Meta announced recovering an account was “faster and simpler” with the help of an AI support assistant, but I could not get the tool to load with a suspended account.

After experiencing different types of crime over the years, I was surprised by how the loss of Facebook has affected me and how violating it feels. As New York Attorney General Letitia James put it, “Having your social media account taken over by a scammer can feel like having someone sneak into your home and change all of the locks,” and taking away the way millions connect with their families and the world.

For me, losing Facebook has been deeply disorienting and has meant losing access to 18 years of photos, content and conversations, including precious memories of loved ones who have passed away. It has also meant losing contact with thousands of people in my local community – most of whom I know in real life – who have been not just a source of support but also resources and connections to events and ideas that help inform and improve my work as a journalist covering social justice issues.

This experience has made me acutely aware of how fragile social media can be. I do hope I get my Facebook account back some day, but I've learned that we should never rely on social media as a memory bank for our digital life. I will never make that mistake again. – The Seattle Times/TNS