Meta's Nightmare: Users Locked Out, No Human Help

Tens of thousands of Meta users globally are experiencing the frustrating reality of being locked out of their personal and business accounts, with little to no recourse. Aliza Rosen, a user for nearly 20 years, lost access to her Facebook account after an automated message cited a non-existent fake Instagram profile. Her attempts to appeal were met with automated responses and a requirement to pay a monthly fee for verification, which still led to a loop of unhelpful links.

Rosen's ordeal highlights a systemic issue where users struggle to reach human customer support, forcing some to consider paying independent contractors fees ranging from $3,000 to $5,000. Reports suggest that some Meta employees have been disciplined for improperly accessing user accounts, allegedly for bribes. This situation has prompted an online petition, signed by over 51,000 individuals, protesting Meta's alleged wrongful disabling of accounts and lack of effective customer support.

Consultants like Will Jennings are stepping in to help, charging hourly rates for diagnosing account issues and guiding users through recovery. Jennings, who utilizes a Meta business partner account for better support access, believes Meta's resource allocation prioritizes large advertisers over individual users. He points to the emergence of a 'black market' for account recovery as evidence of Meta's failure to provide adequate customer service channels.