Fifteen years. That’s how long I’ve been on Facebook, sharing my life, staying in touch with family, connecting with friends, networking with acquaintances and building my design business in the summer of 2022. And now, in what feels like the blink of an eye, it’s all gone. My account was hacked, and whatever the hacker did caused Facebook to suspended it within minutes.
So grateful I'm not a major influencer with thousands of followers with a monetized account connected to FB Pay, my social security number or my banking information. The hackers would have stolen a lot more information that could be damaging in so many ways. Had my family been relying on that platform to contribute to our monthly finances, this circumstance would be amplified tenfold. So my heart just breaks for the people that this happens to on a daily basis.
I’ve shared extensively how Facebook gave me the run around and aren’t any help at all in trying to resolve this issue. You can read about my frustrating experience in the blog article linked below. Essentially, here's a breakdown of all that was lost as a result of this messed up situation.
1200+ Friends and Connections—Vanished
Over the years, I connected with over 1,200 friends and acquaintances on Facebook. These weren’t just numbers; they were relationships built over time—some new, some old, but all meaningful. And now, they’re gone. Sure I can reach back out with a new friend request but there's no way I'm going to remember everyone so it’s like a part of my online social circle just got erased
(thankfully, I backed my information up a while back so not all is lost... more on that later).
100+ Groups and Dozens of Pages—Lost
I was an active member of more than 100 groups, following dozens of pages that aligned with my personal interests and professional endeavors. These groups were where I found community with aligned interests, shared insights, and received valuable information. Now, I’m no longer a part of any of them. The resources, the discussions, the collaborations—it’s all lost until I manually go back to rejoin them.
What a time suck.
Thousands of Images, Videos, Stories, and Reels—Gone
Facebook was like a digital scrapbook. I had thousands of photos and videos documenting everything from family vacations to professional milestones. I shared stories, reels, and moments that were important to me. And now, every single one of them has vanished. It’s a strange feeling, knowing that years of your life can just disappear in a matter of minutes. It sounds so dramatic but when this platform is integrated into our everyday interactions with others, not having it definitely puts a strain on the fundamentals of your life, both personally and professionally.
Years of Interaction—Erased
Every comment, every like, every conversation I had on the platform is gone. I was the admin of a wellness community group that I helped create five years ago. I’ve poured countless hours into that group, contributing posts, comments, resources, and tips. Today, you wouldn’t even know I had been a part of it. Every trace of my participation has been wiped clean.
The Ripple Effect on My Family
As if losing my own content wasn’t enough, my kids have also been caught up in this mess. They used Facebook Messenger and FaceTime to stay connected with their friends, and now they’re suddenly cut off from those communication tools. This hack has disrupted not just my life but theirs as well, and every time I think I’ve hit the bottom of this situation, another layer of inconvenience pops up.
A Wake-Up Call for Entrepreneurs
This experience has been a harsh reminder of how much control we give to social media platforms—and how little control we actually have. It’s also made me realize the importance of having a space off social media to connect with your audience. If you’re an entrepreneur, and you have years of content stored on platforms like Facebook, it’s worth considering how you can protect that content. Start extracting your information and put it somewhere secure, like your website or an exclusive members’ area, where you have full control.
Thankful for Backups
Thankfully, I had the foresight to back up some of my information a few months ago. While it’s a relief to know I haven’t lost everything, the process of re-uploading content to a new account feels overwhelming, and I doubt I’ll go through with it. This experience has changed how I view sharing online and what I choose to share in the future.
Beware of Fake Helpers
I created a new Facebook account as a backup and my first post was about the hack. Within 15 minutes, I had 16 comments from so-called "account recovery specialists"—aka: more hackers—offering to help me get my account back. A few hours later, the comments had doubled. I’m having to delete and block new comments and messages daily. Seriously though, why are these bogus accounts even allowed to exist?
It’s clear that Meta can’t control the very beast they created. Something legislatively needs to happen to hold these tech giants accountable.
Final Thoughts
Losing my Facebook account has been an eye-opener. It’s highlighted the need for greater control over my content and a more secure way of connecting with my audience. I'll be sending Saturday Coffee Chat newsletter as a way to do this. That bein said, I’m grateful for platforms like Attractwell and GetOiling, which offer all-in-one web hosting solutions that allow you to keep your content safe and accessible through blogging, email communication, courses or exclusive member areas.
Social media can be a powerful tool, but as I’ve learned the hard way, it’s not without its risks. Take the time now to protect your content so you’re not left in the same position I find myself in today.
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