On the night of July 4th, I did what I always do before bed—opened Instagram for a quick scroll. But instead of the usual feed, I was met with a jarring system message:
“We suspended your account, Sherry | Design & DIY.”
Wait, what?
In my five years of posting on @funhomebuilding, I had never encountered a suspension—or even thought about it. No warning, no explanation. Just… locked out.
At first, I thought it was a glitch. Surely this would resolve in a day, right? But as the hours turned into days, I cycled through all the emotions: “I will get my account back in a day”, “Why did they suspend my account, this sucks”, to “I’ve got to forget about all this and move on”.
Not having access to the app was surreal. On one hand, it was oddly freeing—no content deadlines, no urge to check notifications. But on the other hand, I felt cut off from a huge part of my creative life and community.
Instagram, like many platforms today, relies on AI to moderate content at scale. While this is understandable, the downside is problematic: falsely restricting users who do not intentionally break the rules, and very little recourse when the system gets it wrong. [News article: Instagram Users Complain of Mass Suspensions of Accounts, Likely By AI] When I write this blog post, one of my long term IG friends’ account is still suspended. Poof. Vanished.
Thankfully, my ordeal ended just short of a full week. Not sure which action I took worked. But I submitted a photo of myself via my desktop, logged in to the account through Facebook, uploaded a selfie and ID, did the same in the Instagram app itself and submitted a selfie video, until I got the “You submitted an appeal on July 5, 2025.” notification.
Here are some tips if this unfortunate event ever happens to you:
1. Consider Meta Verification
It’s not cheap, but Meta Verified adds a layer of protection. Verified accounts are less likely to be flagged by mistake, and you get access to actual customer support. I wasn’t verified—but after this, I’m seriously considering it.
2. Back Up Your Connections
Have a way to reach your Instagram friends outside the platform—email, phone, even a newsletter list. I’m starting collecting contacts now, just in case.
3. Diversify Your Platforms
Don’t put all your eggs in one algorithm. Post on Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube—anywhere you can build community. If one goes dark, the others keep you visible.
4. Own Your Own Website
Even a simple landing page can give you a place to share updates, contact info, and content you control. It doesn’t need to be fancy—just yours.
5. Make Meta Friends (If You Can)
It’s rare, but having someone at Meta who may have access to internal tools can help. No guarantees, but it’s better than navigating this alone. I was very lucky to be in a Facebook breakthrough bonus group this month. So I emailed the facilitator and asked for help. Her comforting words really helped me put things in perspective.
6. Reddit Is Helpful
Yes, there are lots of depressing, repetitive messages from people who’ve been suspended or even disabled for months. But there is also helpful information on things to try, emails, or services. It’s a great place to start when you feel stuck.
Getting suspended was frustrating. But it also reminded me that our digital lives are fragile—and worth protecting. I’m glad to be back and start sharing again!
You are really really lucky. Did your Meta Connection help the most? Still suspended after 5 weeks.
5 weeks is an awfully long time. Did you find someone from Meta to help escalate? I am not 100% sure which step I took that helped. But it was one of the first things I tried. Joining Meta Verify was another option I was considering, since my Facebook page was still active.