United States
In the US, reports since mid-2025 describe accounts disabled over alleged child sexual exploitation and users who could not reach a person, even after subscribing to Meta Verified. The FTC and state attorneys general have collected complaints, but the Massachusetts attorney general’s office tells users it cannot recover accounts for them. Some people have taken Meta to small-claims court.
As of 2026-10-26
Regulators and public bodies
Federal Trade Commission Launches Inquiry on Tech Censorship (opens in a new tab)
ftc.gov
The FTC asked for comments from users who had been banned, shadow-banned or demonetised by tech platforms (docket FTC-2025-0023, deadline 21 May 2025) and pointed people to ReportFraud.ftc.gov for confidential reports.
Boston 25 News: locked-out Meta users and state attorneys general (opens in a new tab)
boston25news.com
Boston 25 News reported in early 2026 that the Massachusetts attorney general’s online complaint database received more than 300 Meta-related complaints in 2025 and that the office began sending users letters with recovery tips, stating that it cannot help recover accounts. According to Georgia’s consumer protection director, Shawn Conroy, platforms have a responsibility to do better by their users.
securityweek.com
In March 2024 around 40 state attorneys general wrote to Meta about a surge in account takeovers and lockouts and asked it to act immediately. The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office said it is not Meta’s customer service department.
Courts, lawsuits and petitions
Meta Defeats Claims in Hacked Facebook Account Class Lawsuit (opens in a new tab)
news.bloomberglaw.com
In Isgur v. Meta Platforms (N.D. Cal.), a class action over hacked accounts, the court dismissed the complaint on 26 January 2026 but allowed it to be refiled, and Meta moved in April 2026 to dismiss the third amended complaint. The case is about hacked accounts, not wrongful bans.
nepm.org
A New Hampshire café owner, representing himself, won a small-claims case against Meta in January 2024 and was awarded $100 plus costs.
Scam warnings
ReportFraud.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab)
reportfraud.ftc.gov
The Federal Trade Commission’s official site for reporting fraud and scams in the US.
Reporting
cbsnews.com
CBS News Philadelphia reported on users in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Chicago whose accounts were disabled over child sexual exploitation violations they deny. Two filed complaints with their state attorneys general, and subscribing to Meta Verified did not get them help.
SFist: Instagram users complain of mass account suspensions (opens in a new tab)
sfist.com
An early report on the June 2025 wave of Instagram suspensions, which users attributed to automated moderation.
petapixel.com
PetaPixel reported that a sports photographer’s Instagram account was disabled for alleged ‘sexualization of children’, a decision the article describes as wrongful.
Please note
This page collects public material as general information. It is not legal advice. Bodies and procedures change, so check the original link before you apply.
For step-by-step official procedures, see the recovery guide.