Mass. — More Facebook and Instagram users say Meta is locking them out of their accounts with no recourse amid false accusations of child sexual exploitation.
Boston 25 News first reported on the lockouts in December 2025 and again in February 2026. Since then, we’ve heard from dozens of additional users with the same problem.
Some are taking their cases to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which confirms an increase in lock-out complaints.
Amy Friend, owner of Amy Friend Studio+Gallery in West Newbury, is one of several small business owners affected by the lockouts. Friend uses Instagram to advertise and sell quilting patterns she designs.
“I got locked out twice,” Friend says, calling Meta’s accusation that she posted explicit or inappropriate material “incredibly insulting and shocking.”
Friend said it was difficult to try and explain the false accusations to her nearly 30,000 followers, customers, and friends.
“A lot of people who quilt are older than I am. And I think that they didn’t necessarily understand,” Friend said. “They would say things like, well, we never saw you post anything wrong. I’m like, no, I didn’t post anything wrong, so I think there is a little bit of an assault on your character.”
Many affected users attribute the lockouts to a fault in Meta’s artificial intelligence systems. An online petition has gathered more than 60,000 signatures from users demanding a fix to the automated security systems.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office previously declined to comment to Boston 25 News on the issue of Meta lockouts. However, the AGO recently began sending letters to Meta users with tips to restore access to their accounts.
“The Attorney General’s Office cannot help you recover your account,” the letter says. “However, we have been in contact with Meta...”
The letter goes on to share a list of “Updated Compromised Account Resources.” Notably, the tips suggest users who are unable to log-in treat their accounts as if they were hacked.
“[Facebook] users who are unable to log into their account should click the ‘My Account is Compromised’ button and follow the instructions to recover their account,” Meta says in its tips to the AGO. “We’ll ask the user to provide the email or mobile number associated with their account. In some cases, we may ask for additional information that only the rightful account owner would possess in order to restore access and prevent abuse, such as a picture of their government-issued identification card (e.g., driver’s license).”
Meta says it may encrypt and securely store user IDs for up to one year to improve its automated systems for detecting fake IDs.
Meta says Instagram users who are unable to log into their account “should visit the 'Request Instagram Support' page to request a review of their account." Meta may request a photo or video selfie, in addition to username, email, and mobile number associated with the account.
Amy Friend was able to get her Instagram back several weeks after reaching out to Boston 25 News, once we contacted Meta on her behalf. She also filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office and with Sen. Ed Markey’s office, which she says also contacted Meta on her behalf.
How Friend’s account was restored still isn’t clear. She’s glad to be back online, but says the whole experience has made her leery of Meta. She’s now looking at other platforms to grow her business.
“I don’t know that I can trust that my accounts aren’t going to be taken away again,” Friend said. “So I’m posting on Blue Sky and YouTube and Twitter [X]... in case it happens again.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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