I almost never use my Facebook account. So a few days ago when I decided to log in, I wasn’t surprised to see a bazillion notifications and some missed messages. I marked them all as read and then signed off. A few minutes later I logged into a remote server for one of my freelance projects as a writer. During that remote session, I decided to log back into Facebook because I wanted to double-check one of my notifications.
And that’s when Facebook decided to lock my account. I put in the right password. The lock decision was automatically made simply because I signed in from 2 different locations within a few minutes of each other.
While I can understand the system being a little cautious for multiple logins, I know several people who are signed into Facebook from different locations at the same time pretty regularly. They’re logged in at home. They’re logged in on their work computer. And they’re logged in on their phone. All at the same time.
Facebook Wants WHAT??
Back to my home computer where I was just logged into Facebook, I tried to log in again and was taken to a page asking me to confirm my identity. It looks something like this:
What really blew my mind was what happened when I clicked Continue:
Facebook literally wanted me to upload a photo ID. And it gets better – click Continue one more time and look at the photo IDs they accept:
You’re not reading that wrong folks. Who in their right mind would upload one of these IDs to Facebook’s servers?
Privacy Concerns Abound
Facebook’s reputation for protecting user data is abysmal so it’s pretty obvious that I’m not going to be sending my personal information to them just to unlock my account (which they locked even though I was legitimately logging into it).
And do they really need this information? They didn’t ask for this information when I signed up. All they asked for was an email address – an email address I still use and have access to. That should be all the confirmation they need.
Sure they do have another list of things you can send them to prove your identity, of which I sent 2 of those things (a piece of mail and a bank statement with critical info blacked out) – but neither of them were good enough (even though they’re on the list Facebook provides).
Bye Bye Facebook!
As a result of this whole debacle, I’ve decided that I’m not even going to put forth any additional effort to get my account unlocked. I’m lucky I don’t use Facebook much. In fact, it’s been almost a year since I last posted something. But I can’t imagine being in a position where your entire life for years has been recorded on Facebook and suddenly all of that is being held hostage unless you give them something that would allow anyone in the room to steal your identity.
The part that kicks me though is since Facebook doesn’t believe I am who I say I am, I can’t even have them delete my information. Can you imagine having your pictures and videos all online and you can’t even get them to remove it?
If you’ve ever wondered why Facebook is constantly in trouble, all you have to do is scroll up and look at those screenshots again and ask yourself… is it reasonable for a social network to ask for such identification? And, if the answer is no, then you might want to consider leaving Facebook as well.
Oh, so for all my Facebook stalkers, I probably wasn’t going to return your messages anyway – but now I have a legitimate excuse!
I'm an aspiring writer from Santa Monica, CA who writes about a little bit of everything. I love paranormal stuff, working out, nature, wildlife, and general humor.
Hi April Howsing,
After reading your article on this Facebook suspension issue and lockouts, I also have a story to tell. I have had a FB account for 13 years and never had an issue until a few days ago.
Three days ago, I logged into my FB account and responded to a few messages and then logged out. The following day, when I went to check back with FB, it was placed on a temporary lockdown due to “suspicious activity”. I rarely check my FB as I am a very busy person.
After trying to check my emails for confirmation codes to type in the box, I was very surprised they wanted as acceptable forms of authentic id the following:
photo ID,
marriage license,
passport,
Tax identification number,
Visa,
Passport
Utility Bill
Bank Statement
For your information and everybody else reading this, FB is just for entertainment purposes and is not supposed to be operating as some government entity. The kinds of information they request from the lists I mentioned are from government entities like your bank, university, post office (acquiring p.o. box or passport).
Furthermore, if you have submitted any of the above information, I would encourage you to check your credit reports at here https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action.
I also will not be submitting any of the above information to FB.
Sincerely,
Joan Sabino
If you give these criminals any of your personal information then good luck to you, because you’ll need it. They’re digging their own grave, leave them with their spade.
WOW, I must say the same thing. I changed my password and that must have been what caused my account to be locked within 5 second of the change that I did as recommended for security by them. I tried to unlock my account with the help of a facebook agent in a chat link. Yes, I will send a photo ID with information to guarantee that my identity is stollen! NOT A FACEBOOK MEMBER ANY MORE. How can we shut this company donn?
Same thing just happened to me. Why the heck would anyone send them personal information? Suckerberg can kiss it.
Time to get on a different social media site, like Truth Social, or Reddit.
Carol Thatcher, can you please tell me how you got back onto facebook! I have sent my photo ID to facebook several times and they reply with an access code which should allow me to get into my facebook account. It never ever works. Highly frustrated as would like to get back onto Facebook.
I had the exact same experience. I rarely went on FB and then in January “suspicious activity” locked me out. When I saw the personal ID requirement I assumed it was a scam. Tried to call to talk to a live person which apparently they don’t do anymore. I am also not comfortable uploading the required documentation so that is all for me. no more FB. I have already spent more time on this than I spent actually on FB the entire last year at least, but it would be nice to let folks know that it is just a ghost account now. Oh well…
Same thing happened to me recently. I never even use FB much, mostly to see what friends and family are doing or viewing their photos from recent holiday/vacation trips. So, I don’t know why FB would think I have “suspicious activity” on my account. And when I saw that they asked for ID govt. photo, I immed. thought it was a scam, but apparently this is coming from the real FB people!? Because of this “blocking me” I would like to delete my FB account, but I cannot even do that because I am blocked from logging into my account. Well, FB has lost another person/account. I don’t care about belonging to their “group” any longer! Don’t need the aggravation!
Fecebook cannot fulfill the requirements of their own company.
After so many times in court, Shnookerburg uses the alias Meta.
Strange confessional. Meta alludes to collecting info on people.
Ditto, ditto ditto. I’ve uploaded my passport with picture, twice, and here I am again, locked out.
it is the same for me my account was hacked just yesterday and facebook wants an id which i sent and because my brother has so many oculus queast games on that account and i have tried for half the night trying to get back access and facebook sent me a account recovery code to change my password and i tried to use it and it still keeps me locked out.
locked out today, won’t accept my ID and cannot set up another account with different email address on my computer or phone, I am from the UK, disable now out of contact with friends and family from all over the world who were my lifeline, don;t like facebook, this is the metaverse ….
I have had my FB account locked claiming unusual activity, just now. There was no unusual activity, I posted on a cooking group and contacted a Hospital Group I was associated with.
I have zero intention of giving a multinational. corporation, with an extremely poor security record, my ID with a photo. I live in South Africa and identity theft, Credit Card and number plate cloning are rife. How do we know that some totsie will not hack FB and we suddenly find invoices dropping into our inbox.
I had to close my original account because I was being harrassed and trolled. I am going to wave a sad goodbye and leave Facebook sinking slowly into the mire of its own making.
My FB has been having this happen constantly! I just finally get back on after my acct was held hostage! There was definitely no unusual activity at all going on! I was on my FB page. It’s at the point that it is absolutely annoying!!!!!! I’m tired of wasting my time trying to get back into my acct. They say they’re going to send you a code which never comes or shows up one or two days later. Useless at that point! Ugh ?
I’m so glad I’m off of Facebook now!
what did u do to get your account back i submitted my id with no response now its saying error
Got an Oculus Quest for Christmas. Signed in to FB and played for a while. The next morning went to sign in and FB wants a passport, DL, Gov’t I.D. SURE THING!!! Should I send my SSN and my bank account # as well? Taking the Oculus back to the store. What a bunch of dumbasses they must think we are.
I’ve had exactly the same issue it started with an email saying there was suspicious activity on my account and it was locked to unlock required me to scan passport or driving license wich I refuse to do
I opened a Facebook lite account after a few weeks same thing
I’m not backing down so thanks bunch Facebook
Hi April
Exactly the same here. I got a new phone and don’t log on enough to remember my password. After a few days of deliberation I decided to try and send a marriage certificate as the seemingly least risky document. That did not work. I then attempted to give a copy of a passport that was a few years old. That was denied. I also refuse to send a drivers license to them. Good bye as well! Thank you Facebook for marking my departure easy. You will be missed like the bad habit you are.
Yes ! Got locked out on my Birthday. Was looking forward to all the Happy Birthday wishes from people that i only keep in touch with by Facebook. But oh well. I never was a fan of them anyway. No one should have this much power over people. So see ya, wouldn’t wanta be ya!
Facebook locked my account on August 28, 2021. They said there was “unusual activity” on my account, but they won’t say what. I sent my requested ID and a larger photo of myself and FB still won’t unlock my account. I’ve written to them several times and have resent my ID info several times. They never respond. Facebook doesn’t even have a Customer Service Department to get help! Worst company in the world. Facebook has been such a pain in the ass about this. If I ever get my account open again, I’m closing the account – period. People like me mean nothing to them because I don’t generate any money for them.