It’s been 24 hours since my Facebook account was hacked and subsequently disabled, and the experience has been nothing short of a nightmare. For 15 years, I've shared my life on this platform—photos, videos, chats, stories, pages, content, and education. To think that all of those connections, groups, memories, and moments could vanish in a matter of minutes is a complete mind mess.
When I realized what had happened, I immediately tried to get help, but quickly learned that talking to an actual person at Facebook is nearly impossible. For a company of Facebook's size, the absence of a support phone number or email is mind-blowing. Sure, they have billions of users, and I get that the manpower needed to resolve issues is immense, but they created this platform. They have a responsibility to the people who rely on it—people like me, who use it for business, for community, for connection.
What baffles me even more is the process in which Facebook handles situations like this...Once the hacker gained access, Facebook disabled my account, stating that an unknown username did not adhere to their community standards (obviously NOT my username).
They directed me to my Instagram account to file an appeal, but that led to a frustrating loop of clicks with no clear resolution. The alleged violation they cited? Nowhere to be found. The email they said I'd receive? Never arrived—not even in my spam folder or backup email account.
I know my account is still linked to my email because when I attempt to log in, I get a message saying it’s been disabled so the hacker did not change my email. My mom tried to report that a friend's account had been hacked, but since it's disabled, it’s as if I no longer exists for her to make a report. The entire situation is bizarre and beyond frustrating.
In the last 24 hours, I've submitted three reports to Facebook, yet I've heard nothing back. I've spent an entire day trying to resolve this issue, and it’s daunting to think about all the people, groups, and communities I now have to rejoin, refriend, or refollow. My business relies heavily on this platform, and the idea of starting from scratch is overwhelming to say the least.
I’ve since created a backup Facebook account, and I plan to use this new platform to spread awareness about just how much control we give to these tech giants—and how little respect and customer service they give back to us, the very people who keep their platforms in business.This experience has been a wake-up call. You never think it will happen to you, but here we are. I’ll be releasing a series of blog posts with tips from my experience in case this ever happens to you. Come on, Meta, you can do better.
Related Article: What To Do If Your Facebook Account Gets Hacked?
