For Aliza Rosen, Facebook wasn’t just a social media site—it was a time capsule, a work hub, and a daily part of her life for almost 20 years.
Since joining in 2007, her account had grown into a vast collection of photos, friendships, and professional connections from her podcasting and television production work in Los Angeles.
But all of that changed abruptly in March of this year, when Rosen received a cold, automated message from Meta.
Her account had been suspended for allegedly creating a fake Instagram profile.
Searching for Answers, Finding a Wall
Rosen quickly tried to locate the account in question—but it didn’t exist.
Then came the frustrating reality: contacting a real human at Meta was impossible unless she paid for a verified account.
“That was the beginning of my descent into Meta’s customer service nightmare,” Rosen said.
She’s far from alone. Tens of thousands of users worldwide report being locked out of personal or business accounts, only to find the company’s support channels nearly impossible to navigate.
Some have even paid thousands of dollars to independent contractors, desperate to reclaim access to crucial business contacts and irreplaceable memories.
The Cost of Appeals
For Rosen, appealing the suspension meant paying $11.99 a month for a verified account.
She reluctantly did so, only to be trapped in an endless loop of automated messages.
“I went through two or three different bots just to get the same link to report a hacked account.
You fill out the info, and it just loops back to nothing,” she told the Daily Mail.
Even when she explained that her blocked account was linked to an old, inaccessible email, she was told there was nothing that could be done.
Months of submitting IDs and screenshots yielded no results.
“I really needed it for work. A lot of my research and projects live on Facebook.
That was incredibly frustrating,” she said.
The Black Market of Account Recovery
Eventually, Rosen was introduced to a consultant who had helped a former coworker regain access to a locked account—but the fee was staggering: $3,000 to $5,000.
The consultant told her that reaching a real Meta employee often requires paying under the table.
This isn’t entirely shocking: in 2022, Meta reportedly disciplined over two dozen employees accused of improperly taking over accounts, sometimes in exchange for bribes, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Some workers allegedly accepted thousands of dollars to access locked accounts.
“It felt like my account was being held hostage,” Rosen said.
“Now I have to pay a consultant to get back an account that a scammer took, and Meta isn’t going to fix it.”
A Growing Outcry
The problem has become widespread.
An online petition titled Meta wrongfully disabling accounts with no human customer support has over 51,000 signatures.
It argues that millions of ordinary users, including journalists, creators, educators, and nonprofits, are losing access to accounts, communities, and data without warning, explanation, or real recourse.
Some victims report severe emotional effects: panic attacks, sleepless nights, and even depression after losing their digital lifelines.
Consulting in the Void
Will Jennings runs a consulting firm that helps people recover lost or disabled accounts.
“Most of what I do is Zoom calls diagnosing what’s wrong. People feel hurt, but don’t know the problem. I explain the options,” he said.
Getting an account verified is often the first step, but even then, users are placed in lines with millions of others.
Legal action is another route, but it’s slow and costly.
Jennings relies on his Meta business partner account from a marketing agency to access slightly better customer support.
He offers a free 15-minute consultation, followed by $350 per hour for help.
His clients are mostly businesses, for whom being locked out can have serious financial consequences.
Retrieving personal profiles is far more difficult.
Systemic Failures and Consequences
Jennings points to a broader problem: Meta underfunds customer support while profits continue to rise.
“Unless you’re a billion-dollar advertiser, it doesn’t impact their bottom line,” he said.
He also blames blanket policies designed to fight scams.
“Meta is willing to shut down nine innocent users to stop one bad actor.
There’s a black market for Meta account recovery that wouldn’t exist if the company supported customers properly.”
Jennings never intended to become a rescue consultant.
“I ran a marketing agency, and helping people get in touch with Facebook support started as a side hustle.
Nobody should have to pay for this, but the problem is getting so bad someone needs to step in,” he said.
What’s Next?
For Rosen, the likelihood of regaining her account is slim, and the pain of losing nearly 20 years of memories is immense.
Meta’s approach has left her—and countless others—frustrated, angry, and helpless.
As platforms like Meta continue to grow, the question looms: how will millions of users protect their digital lives when the very companies holding them accountable provide almost no meaningful human support?
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