Mark Zuckerberg at a Senate hearing/Reuters
A scathing letter was sent on behalf of 41 U.S. state attorneys general to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. In the letter, the plaintiffs demand that the company significantly improve its support services for users who have fallen victim to account theft. The coalition, led by New York Attorney General Letshie C Yames claims that the "dramatic and consistent" increase in complaints related to account hijacking constitutes a "significant burden" on government resources.
In a letter sent to Meta management, it is stated: "We refuse to act as your customer service representatives.
We demand that Meta take immediate steps and significantly increase its investment in preventive measures against account takeovers, as well as in response to users whose accounts have been hacked."
The letter, which was first revealed on the Wired website, refers to a long-standing problem and an ongoing source of frustration among users: the great difficulty of getting support after losing access to an account.
According to the letter, the situation is particularly worrisome for business owners or popular content creators, who lose access to their accounts and business pages, and may find that they have no way to get support from a human employee at the company, unless they have a personal connection to someone who works at the company.
Other users are even forced to seek legal advice or hire private hackers to get their accounts back.
Although steps have been taken in recent years to ease the account recovery process, Meta still relies heavily on automated systems, and many users find themselves without an answer.
In addition, human customer service is only available for users who have signed up for the monthly subscription, Meta Verified, at a cost of $12 per month.
Meta still relies heavily on automated systems, and many users find themselves unanswered/ShutterStock
The letter explains the state prosecutors' involvement in that many online hacking forums, such as Reddit, advise users to file complaints with their local attorney general's office as a last resort.
According to the publication, the offices of the chief prosecutors are flooded with complaints about the lack of response from Meta.
"Our offices have experienced a dramatic and consistent increase in complaints in recent years regarding account hacking, which worries not only our citizens but also takes away considerable resources from our offices."
In a response from a Meta spokesperson, it was stated: "We invest heavily in our skilled enforcement and review teams, and we have advanced tools to identify hacked accounts or other fraudulent activity. We regularly share tips and tools that people can use to protect themselves, provide a means of reporting potential violations , cooperate with law enforcement authorities and take legal steps."
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