BALTIMORE — A local college student is battling to restore her Instagram account after Meta accused her of violating policies on child sexual exploitation, abuse, and nudity — claims she calls false, hurtful, and baseless.
Mackenzie Blake, who wants to be a teacher, discovered last month that she couldn't log into her Instagram account. Instead, she saw a message saying her account was suspended for a rule banning Instagram users from interacting or attempting to interact with children in a sexual manner.
"I thought it was a really gross accusation. I also work at a preschool occasionally, so I think that was disgusting that they would accuse me of that," Blake said.
Prior to the account suspension, Blake said she posted typical photos of vacation and with her family and friends.
"I went to New York City. I posted pictures of that with my mom, my brother. That's pretty much it," Blake said.
Blake filed an appeal, which was denied immediately. She then paid for Meta verification to speak with a human customer service representative.
"They said they sent my review to a specialized team which came back within a day as still violating guidelines. I called another Meta agent and they said that my account was probably hacked since my password won't work. I have seen nothing that suggests that," Blake said.
Screenshots from her support chats with Meta show agents refused to explain what triggered the flag.
"They said they couldn't tell me due to privacy and security reasons, which I think is ridiculous because it's my account," Blake said.
Blake's case isn't isolated. Our Scripps sister station, WRTV, in Indianapolis spoke with Amy Ladaw-Ortiz, a teacher, mother, and pastor's wife who faced similar accusations.
"And when I saw this, it was like child sexual exploitation. I was like, what! I'm like, what happened? I was just in shock," Ladaw-Ortiz said.
Similar reports have emerged worldwide from the U.S. to Australia, England, and Canada. More than 44,000 people have signed a petition calling on Meta to restore wrongfully disabled accounts, citing automated decisions, unhelpful support, and having to pay to speak with a human.
"It wasn't helpful at all, and I think that as a company you should be able to have support without having to pay for it," Blake said.
WMAR-2 News Mallory Sofastaii reached out to Meta and has not yet received a response. A company spokesperson told WRTV that "We take action on accounts that violate our policies, and people can appeal if they think we've made a mistake."
Meta added that no system is perfect but they haven't seen evidence of a significant increase in incorrect enforcement of their rules.
In July, Meta announced new safety features to better protect young users. Many support that goal, however for those wrongfully accused, they want their access back.
"It's really frustrating. I have my work group chat on there, so I'm missing out on that. I have notifications about my college on there, missing out on that, clubs missing out on that," Blake said. "It's just stressful, concerning, and I don't know why it's happening."
Some users, including Ladaw-Ortiz in Indiana, have since had their accounts restored. If this happens to you, you can file an appeal on the platform, file a complaint with your state attorney general, the Federal Trade Commission, and be persistent. You can also pay for Meta verification for enhanced customer support, which costs about $15 per month.
As of January 1, 2025, the Maryland Attorney General has received 179 Instagram complaints and 101 Facebook complaints.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.