More Facebook, Instagram users say accounts wrongly banned over "sickening" allegations with no explanation
Thousands of Facebook and Instagram users across the country say they are waking up to find their accounts suddenly locked. Nearly all of them are accused of the same serious violation, and all claim they did nothing wrong.
Many say Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has offered no clear explanation and no meaningful way to speak with a real person to clear their names.
CBS News Philadelphia's In Your Corner first reported on the issue in November, after helping a Bucks County business owner regain access to her accounts. She said the suspension was hurting her business and bottom line.
Since then, dozens more users in the Delaware Valley and across the country have reached out, all reporting nearly identical experiences.
Users say "completely untrue" allegations are "sickening"
Monica Montone said she was shocked when Meta suspended the Facebook and Instagram pages for her Bucks County gym, accusing her of violating rules related to child sexual exploitation.
"This is completely untrue, and frankly, it's sickening," Montone said.
After Montone's story aired, George Dixon of Bordentown, New Jersey, reached out to In Your Corner.
"I said, 'This sounds eerily familiar,'" Dixon said.
Dixon, an IT analyst, said he was banned for the same allegation — something he said was terrifying given the seriousness of the accusation.
"Child sexual exploitation is a very serious allegation," Dixon said. "I'm worried, am I going to be put on a list? Am I going to get a knock on the door from police or the FBI? You don't know what's going to happen. I have children. I have grandchildren."
Dixon said he was locked out of his accounts and his appeal was denied.
Appeals denied within minutes
Eric Cunningham, a teacher in Chicago, said he found In Your Corner's reporting while searching online for answers after his own account was banned.
"I felt a little better knowing it wasn't just me," Cunningham said. "That maybe there was something wrong on Meta's end."
Cunningham said Meta never explained what triggered the ban and that his appeal was reviewed and denied within minutes.
"The appeal process was clearly not done by a person," he said.
AI moderation blamed
Meta users CBS News Philadelphia spoke with believe the company's AI-driven moderation system is to blame.
Nearly 60,000 users have signed a Change.org petition accusing Meta of "a widespread, systemic failure that has erased businesses, destroyed livelihoods, and cut people off from years of memories, relationships and vital communications." The petition is demanding Meta provide a better way to appeal disabled accounts.
Last year, Meta announced aggressive efforts to remove hundreds of thousands of accounts as it rolled out new child safety features.
CBS News Philadelphia has been pressing Meta for answers for months. For the first time last week, a company spokesperson responded and said Meta would look into a list of affected accounts we provided — but did not respond to specific questions about the allegations or the appeal process.
Meta says it offers a paid service called "Meta Verified," which promises direct customer support. However, Dixon and Cunningham said they both signed up and still received no help. Both have filed complaints with their respective state attorneys general.
"I'd like to see a system where, if you're flagged for something this serious, a human double-checks the AI's work," Dixon said. "That's a very slippery slope. I just want accountability."
Experts urge backups and alternative contact plans
Meta has faced criticism for not doing enough to protect children online. At the same time, in a civil trial against the company that is currently underway, investigators have testified that recent changes may have made it harder to keep children safe, because AI systems are overwhelming law enforcement with false reports.
Technology experts say users should take steps now to protect their accounts, including backing up important photos and contacts and making sure businesses have alternative ways to reach customers if social media accounts are suddenly disabled. It's also recommended to enable two-factor authentication to decrease the chances of having your account hijacked.
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