Instagram - Unfairly Suspended Account

arism74

Hello

On Friday I woke up to find out an email from Instagram saying my account had been suspended for violating Community Standards. I had the right to appeal until early December and they usually reply within 24 hours. I appealed instantly but never heard back from them. I also found a different form on their website where I can appeal while also attaching a photo ID, which is I did, and again they have not replied.

They claim there was sexually suggestive content on my profile (although they didn't indicate which one that was). I replied by saying that the content of the account may be informed by my sexuality (I'm a gay man) but no single item contains sexually suggestive content. No response. There's been discussion about homophobia among their staff, as several other guys have had their accounts suspended like that, but I now want to ask two questions:

a) how I can proceed escalating this through some platform other than Instagram (they are incredibly difficult to contact, they used to have a support email address, which was hardly ever responded to, but now they have removed it completely)
b) I am not even able to access the suspended account and download my chats, photos, videos. Can't one make a case for GDPR and access to personal data? And if yes, how?

Finally, if anyone had a similar experience with IG and had a success story, I'd be most grateful if you could share please.

Best
Aris

RumRat

It will cost you to go through Facebook according to the posts on the web.....You have to first create a Business account, pay for and run an ad, you then get access to their concierge service who will help. Not tried it but, it seems the most recommended solution.
Don't get paranoid about IG staff, they aren't looking at your stuff, it's all done by a Bot....The staff are busy trying to sort out the Bots mistakes...

MattMattMattUK

arism74 said:

Hello

On Friday I woke up to find out an email from Instagram saying my account had been suspended for violating Community Standards. I had the right to appeal until early December and they usually reply within 24 hours. I appealed instantly but never heard back from them. I also found a different form on their website where I can appeal while also attaching a photo ID, which is I did, and again they have not replied.

They claim there was sexually suggestive content on my profile (although they didn't indicate which one that was). I replied by saying that the content of the account may be informed by my sexuality (I'm a gay man) but no single item contains sexually suggestive content. No response. There's been discussion about homophobia among their staff, as several other guys have had their accounts suspended like that, but I now want to ask two questions:

Your definition of sexually suggestive and theirs may differ. Alternatively could your account have been compromised and a third party was using it to post inappropriate content? 

arism74 said:

a) how I can proceed escalating this through some platform other than Instagram (they are incredibly difficult to contact, they used to have a support email address, which was hardly ever responded to, but now they have removed it completely)

You cannot apart from the Facebook paid option above. You raise it through the Instagram system and you wait, normally these are temporary timeouts, or have you been banned permanently? 

arism74 said:

b) I am not even able to access the suspended account and download my chats, photos, videos. Can't one make a case for GDPR and access to personal data? And if yes, how?

That is correct, you have no right of access to a suspended account, you do have a right of access to personal data but what is yours is slightly grey, image you send care, but not all images you receive. Some data they may not store beyond expiry (stories) etc. They have to comply with an SAR request, but that will be the raw data, they do not have to provide you access to the data via the Instagram app, or in a nice tidied up way, but just as a data file and relevant attachments. 
https://help.instagram.com/contact/163695614321277

arism74 said:

Finally, if anyone had a similar experience with IG and had a success story, I'd be most grateful if you could share please.

It depends what you mean by similar. I know people who had accounts permanently banned for posting inappropriate content, either directly posted or via a compromised account, I know people who had bans overturned because the filters can be slightly overzealous sometimes. I do not know anyone who has been bothered enough to get their data afterwards. The factor in all those situations though is that it took weeks/months, not days, to get resolved if it did, most just give up and create a new account. 

arism74

Sorry, I can't seem to figure out how to blockquote only specific paragraphs from previous message so:

could your account have been compromised and a third party was using it to post inappropriate content? 
I very much doubt it, but I suspect it may have been reported, either by one of my followers (maliciously maybe) or some other IG user - it's a public account.

You cannot apart from the Facebook paid option above. You raise it through the Instagram system and you wait, normally these are temporary timeouts, or have you been banned permanently?
So are you folks saying we can only escalate a complaint internally? We cannot proceed with a complaint through a third party or platform? Surely that can't be? Can they be so omnipotent/

In theory, I have not been banned permanently. The Friday emails says my account has been suspended and I have the right to appeal for six months (until early December), when the account will be deleted. I did appeal, but have yet to hear back, even if they say usually they respond within 24 hours (I appealed first thing in the morning Friday and have tried to contact them twice already)

image you send are, but not all images you receive. Some data they may not store beyond expiry (stories) etc.
I want my chats primarily, the images I have uploaded I have them already. Also, stories - they do store them in your 'archive'.

The factor in all those situations though is that it took weeks/months, not days, to get resolved if it did, most just give up and create a new account. 
Yes, but maybe it's about time this is challenged, because IG suspensions can be pretty random and, as many others in circles I socialise think, homophobic. I'll be hoping to get this resolved or even find a third-party to mediate. Thanks for the detailed response.

Wonka_2

arism74 said:

. 
Yes, but maybe it's about time this is challenged, because IG suspensions can be pretty random and, as many others in circles I socialise think, homophobic. I'll be hoping to get this resolved or even find a third-party to mediate. Thanks for the detailed response.

Not sure why you continue to think there'll be a 3rd party to mediate ?

IG is a private entity, you sign up to it's T&C's and need to accept them. If the data is that important then you needed to have extracted/backed-up on a regular basis because, as you've found, an indiscretion can lead to a (permanent) suspension with no rights beyond an appeal - and then, if banned, no right to your content.

Given there are plenty of 'influencers' with 50k+ followers who've been unsuccessful I wouldn't hold out too much hope that you're somehow different/special (and good luck in proving this is homophobic)

arism74

I wouldn't hold out too much hope that you're somehow different/special (and good luck in proving this is homophobic

not sure what the point of your last posting is - forums are meant to be supportive rather than dismissive or sarcastic. If you cannot suggest a way to resolve the issue other than 'this is the way things are', no point in contributing? Thanks though

Johnmcl7

My sister's IG account was suspended without warning and couldn't even work out what she'd done wrong on it, I spent some time trying to help her get it back but we never got a response and eventually gave up.  It was a very frustrating experience that we just couldn't seem to get through to anyone and there were some guides on how to keep sending support tickets each day until you get a response.

I hope you have better luck

forgotmyname

Had a similar issue with Google.  Created an account to use Bluestacks and one day it was locked. Contacting them all I got was
you broke the rules but they don't tell you what rules and it was used very little only to test stuff so not a problem.

It did make me think what if that was my banking email, I would have to jump through hoops with no access to the reset email.
You cannot rely on these services because sometimes bans happen and the customer service is non existent.

Boffinman

forgotmyname said:

Had a similar issue with Google.  Created an account to use Bluestacks and one day it was locked. Contacting them all I got was
you broke the rules but they don't tell you what rules and it was used very little only to test stuff so not a problem.

It did make me think what if that was my banking email, I would have to jump through hoops with no access to the reset email.
You cannot rely on these services because sometimes bans happen and the customer service is non existent.

Exactly. I recently had 2 different music videos from YouTube blocked when I uploaded them to TikTok (boffin0) for "Violating Community Guidelines". These were just ordinary music videos - nothing hateful or suggestive in them. Sent several emails etc but never did get a reply.

arkhamknight02

I have experienced the account suspended on both Facebook and Instagram. Not sure as to why they aren’t replying to your appeal, they are usually pretty quick.

All of the account suspensions on Meta are by bots, which is probably why this happens so often and unfortunately, they don’t have the customer service to help people. I think it would be easier for all if their appeal process was manually checked. 

MattMattMattUK

arism74 said:

Sorry, I can't seem to figure out how to blockquote only specific paragraphs from previous message so:

could your account have been compromised and a third party was using it to post inappropriate content? 
I very much doubt it, but I suspect it may have been reported, either by one of my followers (maliciously maybe) or some other IG user - it's a public account.

You cannot apart from the Facebook paid option above. You raise it through the Instagram system and you wait, normally these are temporary timeouts, or have you been banned permanently?
So are you folks saying we can only escalate a complaint internally? We cannot proceed with a complaint through a third party or platform? Surely that can't be? Can they be so omnipotent/

On their platform they can, you have no right to post/use Instagram, Facebook or any other Meta product or service. They are the arbiters of who gets to use their platform, that is never going to change.

arism74 said:

In theory, I have not been banned permanently. The Friday emails says my account has been suspended and I have the right to appeal for six months (until early December), when the account will be deleted. I did appeal, but have yet to hear back, even if they say usually they respond within 24 hours (I appealed first thing in the morning Friday and have tried to contact them twice already)

If they are going to respond then they will, but they probably will not, no point expending further energy on getting the account back.

arism74 said:

image you send are, but not all images you receive. Some data they may not store beyond expiry (stories) etc.
I want my chats primarily, the images I have uploaded I have them already. Also, stories - they do store them in your 'archive'.

If you are bothered about the chats then submit a dSAR, they will come as a data dump.

arism74 said:

The factor in all those situations though is that it took weeks/months, not days, to get resolved if it did, most just give up and create a new account. 
Yes, but maybe it's about time this is challenged, because IG suspensions can be pretty random and, as many others in circles I socialise think, homophobic. I'll be hoping to get this resolved or even find a third-party to mediate. Thanks for the detailed response.

No third party has any power to mediate, realistically neither should it, no website should be forced to allow someone to use it. I really do not see Instagram/Meta as homophobic, you may find you have a different definition of explicit content than they do, but I would wager that the threshold for straight or homosexual explicit content likely aligns as much as the interaction of biology allows. Genitals will get one banned, women topless breaches the rules, men topless does not, individuals kissing is fine, sex, or simulated sex is not, etc. but I very much doubt that they have different decent standards for straight or homosexual parings, if they did I am sure it would have been picked up in the media by now.