Full disclosure here: I have been a huge fan of social networking through the evolution of AOL chat rooms, BBS, Usenet, Friendster, MySpace, and eventually Facebook. Even through all of the negatives around their security policies and on-the-fly changes over the past couple of years, Facebook has been my favorite. I’ve always backed them with friends, and shown friends how to set those settings properly, and make them aware of just what they’re showing on the Internet.
Facebook became my personal online “hub.” All of my pictures that are, for the most part, not stored elsewhere, as they were direct mobile uploads, as well as trade shows for work, big mod projects on various cars, holidays and vacations with friends, all stored on Facebook.
Facebook reconnected me with high school and college friends, and long-lost friends from various towns I had thought were gone for good. All-you, Facebook!
About a week ago, I went to login and noticed something…. odd. I received a warning page that you get when you type your password wrong…
Disabled login text from Facebook
Hmm. That’s weird. Wonder why my account got disabled. I bet someone tried to hack into my account. GOOD FOR YOU FACEBOOK! Thanks for recognizing that and locking it down! So I went to the FAQ and here’s what I saw:
Facebook Disabled and Unverified
Hmm. OK, yes I believe my account was disabled in error, so I clicked the contact us, and here’s what I got…
Put in my email address, full name as it’s listed on the account (Nick Howell), and entered my DOB. I put a “To whom it may concern” comment in the additional info, requesting more information about why my account was disabled, and what steps neededto be taken to get it back online. Hit Send, and went on about my day, not really too concerned.
Dramatic Pause.
This is where the proverbial shit hit the fan. At this point, I hadn’t gotten too wound up about this. Accounts get disabled all the time, not a big deal, I’m sure something triggered some sort of automated filter, and I’ve never had any problems before, gotten no warnings about friending too many people (I only had ~100 on this account).
About an hour after I sent in the response, I got this back:
HA! No, seriously, my initial response was a gut laugh. Obviously someone made some kind of error (I’m in my mid-30’s) and this is all fixable.
And then I read the last sentence a little more closely….
This decision is final and cannot be appealed.
Umm. Yea, not laughing anymore. It would be easy to write this off as tangible and disposable. If they didn’t have the ransom of YEARS of photos, communications via Messages, and friendships/relationships exclusively maintained through Facebook, I’d walk away laughing, and go update my Google+ page. Or even start a new one.
I sent in another notice via the same method, notifying them that they have made a mistake, and that if they took 30 seconds to actually look at my page, they would notice that most 12 years olds don’t have two cars, a job at a Fortune 500, and parents in their 60’s.
Guess what I got back? Same canned automated response.
So I went BACK to the disabled user page, and found the “appeals” page that allows you to upload a picture of a PhotoID, and uploaded and clear copy of my driver’s license. This was done on April 3rd, 2012.
Today is April 9th, and as of 16:53 EDT, I have yet to receive any sort of response.
I’m hoping that this all gets cleared up. I’m hoping I get my account back. I’m hoping that someone from Facebook actually reads this and can escalate it. At a minimum, I’m hoping they’ll at least send me a zip file with all my photos and messages in it, and I’ll go on my merry way.
I’m also hoping that as soon as you read this post, you’ll go into your Facebook Account Settings, and used the “DOWNLOAD” link to make a downloaded copy of all pictures, messages, and wall posts for yourself.
Because at any moment, unbeknownst to you, you could lose it all.
-Nick
UPDATE! Today, April 16, my account was restored. Between this post below, several internal and external emails, I was able to garner the right group’s attention to look into my case, and all was resolved with a very personal and apologetic email. Glad they were able to do the right thing.
Email from Facebook apologizing for disabling my account
Nick Howell- 26 Comments
- SocialMedia
- 04/09/2012
My contacts inside of FB have shared they have an analytics app that associates an age to a user based on the content of their posts. Maybe that’s what nipped your acct.
Interesting. I know several people that have kids underaged with Facebook accounts, yet somehow my posts about video games, movie reviews, and various 4sq checkins become “underaged.”
Apps make mistakes, I just want to know what it’s going to take to get my stuff back. If you wouldn’t mind pinging that internal contact, or linking them to this post, I would certainly appreciate it!
dude you HAVE to help mee get my account back! I’m 15 but it says im underaged my email isnt working!!!
LOL – we’ve all been telling Nick that.
As an aside, FB is great at posting pictures, comments, knowing who you know, but addition and subtraction is not a strong point…
That’s a bummer, Nick. I don’t use Facebook, but can see how much it would suck to lose everything I put into a site. I hope this doesn’t get touted as some sort of “Cloud is bad” example by others. :)
Oh hell – I bought you a beer before. Did I contribute to the delinquency of a minor?!
Sorry man, that really sucks. Hopefully this can get resolved quick and easy.
my Facebook account was disabled yesterday (17/4/13)… i don’t have an ID what must i do? :(
i am only 15 years old but my Facebook age is over 18
There was an appeals process I went through that included sending in a copy of my driver’s license, which they claimed was destroyed after verification. Took a few weeks. Don’t panic quite yet. Just go through the process.
well, I sent a copy of my library card and a school ID. I’m begging Facebook now. Is it okay if I don’t have a driver’s licence and a birth certificate? I’m thirteen now.
my facebook has been disabled because of under age ..my birthday is on August 9 , 2013 and I will become 13 yrs. old !! so if this day happen ..will my facebook will get back and able to log in ??
please help me !!:(
Wow. My birthday is August 8, 2000. im turning 13 next month. And my fb account is also disabled cause im underage
Lol… same here -__- Like honestly I’m not going to wait for another whole year just for a Facebook, it sucks…..
dyou get it back when u turn 13 and how?
I’m kinda late. But my account got disabled too today. After 7 years did you guys retrieve the account?. I’m 12 and I’m turning 13 in 6-7 months. Someone respond please
Me too. It also disabled my Instagram account. Can I wait until I turn 13 so I can get me acc back? Or will it be permanently deleted???
how do you get the message on google or yahoo or where?
I was reported for being under aged, is there a deadline on how long you can retrieve your account?
Hi Nick, I’m actually having the exact same problem as we I speak. Now I’m just waiting for a response. This just happened to me yesterday and I’m 17, I sent them a picture of my school I.D. How long do you think its going to take for them to get back to me and is there any way you can help me reach out to them?
i m 15 years old i donot have a id card and birth certificate so what now i do
How’d you do it!? I’m 15 and it said I was underaged too. But I cant submit an appeal because my email isnt working or some other bs help!
I dont know my id card. Help me pleses
my i.d is disabled please be make it enabled
Who’s a 12-year old who could drive a car? Seriously? Bring me back my account please.
Same happened to me. I attached a pic of my library pass and Facebook said ‘you’re under 13’ even though I’m 15! I just re send it, I really hope they answer and restore my account:( I have lots of pictures of my friends and even deceased pets there.
Hey, so I recently turned 14 and so I wanted to change my age (for some reason it said I was 15 and Yes, I’m petty like that) so I change my age, but when I put in the year, I accidentally put in the wrong year and now I’m 12. I don’t know what to do because I’m young and I look like I’m 10. Will I still be able to get my acc back? If so, what’s the Facebook email so I can try to email them? Can I wait till next year so I’m 13 again?