A coalition of 40 state attorneys general has issued a stern warning to Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, regarding the alarming surge in consumer complaints about account takeovers and lockouts.
The Hill reports that in a letter sent on March , 40 state attorneys general expressed “deep concern” over what they described as a dramatic increase in the number of users reporting their Facebook and Instagram accounts being hijacked by malicious actors. These account takeovers involve cybercriminals gaining unauthorized access to users’ accounts, changing their passwords, and effectively locking them out. Once in control, the perpetrators can engage in a range of harmful or illegal activities, such as posting their own content, reading private messages, scamming contacts, and potentially accessing sensitive personal and financial information.
Mark Zuckerberg Meta Selfie (Facebook)
The letter urgently calls upon Meta to take immediate action to enhance its mitigation tactics and provide prompt assistance to users whose accounts have been compromised. Furthermore, the attorneys general have requested that Meta disclose comprehensive data on the number of account takeovers over the past five years, the suspected causes behind the recent surge, and the safeguards currently in place to protect user accounts.
“Consumers are reporting their utter panic when they first realize they have been effectively locked out of their accounts,” the letter states. “Users spend years building their personal and professional lives on your platforms, posting intimate thoughts, and sharing personal details, locations, and photos of family and friends. To have it taken away from them through no fault of their own can be traumatizing.”
The attorneys general also highlighted the significant financial risks posed by account takeovers, particularly for users who operate businesses or have credit card information linked to their social media accounts. The potential loss of access to these accounts could have severe consequences for individuals and businesses alike.
In response, Meta acknowledged the evolving nature of scammers’ tactics and the company’s efforts to combat them. “We invest heavily in our trained enforcement and review teams and have specialized detection tools to identify compromised accounts and other fraudulent activity,” the company stated. “We regularly share tips and tools people can use to protect themselves, provide a means to report potential violations, work with law enforcement and take legal action.”
Read more at the Hill here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
