Facebook kicked me out of our local cooking school page
I was in the process of starting a community cooking school when the pandemic hit, and during the crisis we instead used our kitchens to run a surplus food project. It's been used by thousands of people and Facebook has been a huge part of our success.
I'm working on the original social enterprise plan again but this week we suffered a major blow as I discovered that my personal Facebook page and the cooking school page had been deactivated.
The message reads: "You don can't use Facebook or Messenger because your linked Instagram account is disabled."
There was a link to Instagram's help center where I could appeal, but it didn't work. I was told that the account was deleted due to activities contrary to its guidelines. Accounts that have been deleted cannot be recovered.
I'm not too worried about the loss of our Instagram account, but I'm really upset about our Facebook page. We had over 2,500 subscribers, which is good for a small local business, and we'll have to work hard to get them back.
Most importantly, we lost the social story of what happened during the pandemic. The page was a record of something good that came out of a really bad time.
I can't explain what happened for Instagram to find out that I had violated his directives. Our Facebook page is disabled, not deleted, and it seems impossible to communicate with Facebook once you've been locked out.
SM, Stirling< /p>
The good news is that when we contacted Facebook on your behalf, they were able to help you and you were able to reset your security. Your page block has been lifted, and you even got your Instagram back, showing that where there is a will, there is a way.
You are delighted but remain puzzled as to what could have caused the red flag in the first place – your most racy recent post on Instagram lately was a photo of a bowl of the traditional Scottish sweet bar. As far as I know, the only harm caused by this sweet treat is your waistline.
The company says your Instagram account has been compromised, most likely through an account of hacked email. If you use social media for business or pleasure, it's worth reading the security tips in their help sections to protect your accounts.
We accept letters but cannot respond individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters are subject to our terms and conditions
I was in the process of starting a community cooking school when the pandemic hit, and during the crisis we instead used our kitchens to run a surplus food project. It's been used by thousands of people and Facebook has been a huge part of our success.
I'm working on the original social enterprise plan again but this week we suffered a major blow as I discovered that my personal Facebook page and the cooking school page had been deactivated.
The message reads: "You don can't use Facebook or Messenger because your linked Instagram account is disabled."
There was a link to Instagram's help center where I could appeal, but it didn't work. I was told that the account was deleted due to activities contrary to its guidelines. Accounts that have been deleted cannot be recovered.
I'm not too worried about the loss of our Instagram account, but I'm really upset about our Facebook page. We had over 2,500 subscribers, which is good for a small local business, and we'll have to work hard to get them back.
Most importantly, we lost the social story of what happened during the pandemic. The page was a record of something good that came out of a really bad time.
I can't explain what happened for Instagram to find out that I had violated his directives. Our Facebook page is disabled, not deleted, and it seems impossible to communicate with Facebook once you've been locked out.
SM, Stirling< /p>
The good news is that when we contacted Facebook on your behalf, they were able to help you and you were able to reset your security. Your page block has been lifted, and you even got your Instagram back, showing that where there is a will, there is a way.
You are delighted but remain puzzled as to what could have caused the red flag in the first place – your most racy recent post on Instagram lately was a photo of a bowl of the traditional Scottish sweet bar. As far as I know, the only harm caused by this sweet treat is your waistline.
The company says your Instagram account has been compromised, most likely through an account of hacked email. If you use social media for business or pleasure, it's worth reading the security tips in their help sections to protect your accounts.
We accept letters but cannot respond individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters are subject to our terms and conditions
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