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Some difficulties on Facebook

Michel H

Banned
M
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
3,398
Location
Belgium
A few days ago, I noticed that I was no longer able to log in to Facebook.

They said a security check was needed, and they would send me a "confirmation code" to my phone. Unfortunately, the phone number which was on my profile (and which they used) was no longer valid (it was the phone number of my previous phone and, not being very active on Facebook, I had not updated it after I got my latest phone). So, I did not receive the confirmation code and, since I could no longer log in, there was no way I could update my profile with my new phone number.

I didn't know what to do, so I tried to create a new account. In the process of creating this new account (with my real, unchanged, name), I gave them my phone number (rather than my e-mail address; I had the choice) and, this time, they did send me a confirmation code (to my phone). Thereafter, they told me to upload a picture of myself, which I did reluctantly (because I didn't see the point). Then, after a waiting time of about 30 hours, when I tried to log in, they said my account had been disabled "because of an infraction to Facebook's terms of use". Surprisingly and shockingly, they did not specify the nature of the alleged infraction, they just gave a list of general possible reasons, and they said I had a right to appeal.

When I tried to appeal, they told me a upload a copy of my identity card, or some other identification (which I did), and they said they would send me an e-mail soon. However, I am worried I shall never receive this e-mail because, when I signed up for the last time, I used my phone number rather than my e-mail address. In addition, when I download my latest profile (which I can do without being logged in), I see than my e-mail address is no longer shown in my profile.

Have you had a similar experience? Can you give me some advice as to the best strategy when your Facebook account has been disabled?
 
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Trying to argue with farcebook is a waste of time, just do what I did, make a new account (I used my middle name instead and use a new free email account), then once you have a new account, notify all your old contacts and ignore the old account entirely
It simply isnt worth the time or energy trying to argue with them- they have no interest in even trying to sort out any issues like this
 
And the lesson for everyone else is make sure your email address and phone number are current for Facebook, even if you are not a habitual user. Ditto for other popular social media. You might suddenly decide to become a hard core addict.
 
Michel H said:
In addition, when I download my latest profile (which I can do without being logged in), I see than my e-mail address is no longer shown in my profile.
Click to expand...
I see that my e-mail address is no longer shown in my profile.
(error correction, sorry)
Dabop said:
Trying to argue with farcebook is a waste of time, just do what I did, make a new account (I used my middle name instead and use a new free email account), then once you have a new account, notify all your old contacts and ignore the old account entirely
Click to expand...
This is an interesting suggestion, Dabop, that I might try to use, thank you.

However, I have to tread carefully, because right now my account is "only" disabled. If I give them a "wrong" name, which doesn't match the one on my official Belgian identity card, they could perhaps use that as a pretext to permanently ban me (in addition, they also don't allow multiple accounts).

My full name is "Michel (Pierre Marie Christian) Hanck" (I normally don't use it on this forum, but, in this case, revealing this info might be useful for the discussion). I could perhaps try to create a new account using "Michel P" as a first name, if everything else fails (I have noticed that, in addition to me, there are two other "Michel Hanck" on Facebook, so using a longer name might be useful to distinguish them from me).
 
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rjh01 said:
And the lesson for everyone else is make sure your email address and phone number are current for Facebook, even if you are not a habitual user.
Click to expand...
I partly agree with you, rjh01, but also partly not. After all, I am not married with Facebook and it seems to me that they should allow for this common occurrence of having one's phone number changed (they should provide a link where people can update their phone number, even if they can no longer log in to Facebook).

This seems to me a common problem, see for example:
How can I regain access to my Facebook account without having access to the mobile phone number?
(https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-reg...hout-having-access-to-the-mobile-phone-number)
I can't access my Facebook account because the confirmation code is being sent to my old mobile number, which I lost. What should I do?
(https://www.quora.com/I-cant-access...d-mobile-number-which-I-lost-What-should-I-do)
How do I verify my Facebook account and send the code to my new phone number?
(https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-verify-my-Facebook-account-and-send-the-code-to-my-new-phone-number).

But I found no really easy solution so far, although this link (provided by one of the quora users above):
Report an Issue with Verifying Your Account
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/283958118330524
is perhaps of interest.
 
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I tried to follow Dabop's advice, and to create a new account using MichelP as first name ("Michelp" more exactly, because both "Michel P" and MichelP were rejected), and HANCK as my last name, but Facebook identified me, and did not consider me as a new member (perhaps they used my IP address and my last name).

They said (I translate from French, which is my first language):
We have noticed some unusual activity on your account.
In order to recover your Facebook account, you will have to provide us with some additional information.
(they don't explain the nature of that "unusual activity", I would be curious to know it)
Then they told me again to upload a photo, and said next:
You may not use Facebook at this time.
Your information is currently being examined.
We are always trying to protect our community, so, until this is completed, you won't be able to use Facebook.
(this is what they said too on my previous attempt, before announcing that my account was disabled, with no explanation).

So, it would seem that, until further notice, my Facebook account has been arbitrarily blocked, with no warning and no explanation.

Perhaps this could be related to some telepathy material that was posted on my Facebook page a long time ago, which I think was originally posted on this forum (I don't know how it ended up there, it did not contain anything illegal, as far as I can tell). There seems to be some people who don't like that (this material has perhaps been "reported" by someone).
 
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Dabop said:
Trying to argue with farcebook is a waste of time, just do what I did, make a new account (I used my middle name instead and use a new free email account), then once you have a new account, notify all your old contacts and ignore the old account entirely
It simply isnt worth the time or energy trying to argue with them- they have no interest in even trying to sort out any issues like this
Click to expand...

Sad but true, and youtube can be even worse. Content creators have someone who doesnt like them strike their channel and they can lose everything they uploaded. The appeals there are about as bad.
 
Near everyone around me uses FB daily. Men and women now equally. I read their revised user agreement a long time ago, disagreed and trashed a little used profile before they could stop me. Never looked back.
I can't even recall why I needed it anymore.

Anyway, I asked around and other than slow page loads no one has ever had a blocked login or needed to resolve other issues.
 
8enotto said:
Near everyone around me uses FB daily. Men and women now equally. I read their revised user agreement a long time ago, disagreed and trashed a little used profile before they could stop me. Never looked back.
I can't even recall why I needed it anymore.

Anyway, I asked around and other than slow page loads no one has ever had a blocked login or needed to resolve other issues.
Click to expand...
But it seems that I am not the only one in this boat, 8enotto, see for example this question posed on Quora:
I can't access my Facebook account because the confirmation code is being sent to my old mobile number, which I lost. What should I do?
(https://www.quora.com/I-cant-access...d-mobile-number-which-I-lost-What-should-I-do).
This question was asked in 2017, but was last "followed" on Monday. In October 2019, CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION commented:
I’m having the same issue but nothing can be done again.

A few days ago, somebody asked, on Yahoo Answers:
Can't Login into Facebook Because of phone number?
I got a new phone number and I log in into facebook there was my old number so I can't access it how do I remove my old phone number?
Click to expand...
(https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20200417235935AAvgYfO)

This seems to be the same issue, and seems to be definitely a tough nut to crack.

I informed Facebook of my new phone number on this page:
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/283958118330524/?ref=u2u
on April 13, but this report seems to have been ignored. This Facebook contact page was given here: https://www.facebook.com/help/community/question/?id=10216382835475139&rdrhc by a member of Facebook's Support team.

It is possible (but unproven) that Facebook uses this (apparently) technical issue to block people that they don't like in a sneaky way.

It would be nice if one member of this forum could talk about the problem with someone he/she knows, and who works at Facebook, in Menlo Park or elsewhere.

It would perhaps also be useful if someone could ask roughly this question on Facebook's forum (https://www.facebook.com/help/community) for me (I can't access it myself because I am unable to log in - Facebook is really "good" at excluding people):
Unable to log in because confirmation code is sent to old, inactive phone number
Hi, I ask this question for a friend/acquaintance who is unable to log in both to his account and to this community. Everytime he tries to log in, a "Security Check" page shows up, which says:
Security Check
To confirm your identity, we will text a confirmation code to your phone.
0476 89 ...
Continue
Unfortunately, this number (0476 89 ...) has been deactivated. He reported his new phone number on this contact page:
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/283958118330524/?ref=u2u
on April 13, 2020, but this seems to have been ignored.
It is not clear what he should do next.
Click to expand...
This would take only about one minute or so (if you are a Fb member).
 
rockysmith76 said:
If you need something similar in your life, there's MeWe which is similar.
Click to expand...
MeWe may be a good social media service, but is not suitable for what I want to do occasionally on Facebook.

For example, a lady in my building created a few years ago a Facebook group for the building where I live, but I can no longer access this Facebook group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/.
 
Michel H said:
MeWe may be a good social media service, but is not suitable for what I want to do occasionally on Facebook.

For example, a lady in my building created a few years ago a Facebook group for the building where I live, but I can no longer access this Facebook group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/.
Click to expand...

Very valid point, could try to get one going there, but understand why you feel that way.
 
"Hey, how can I fix this thing?"

"Hmmm, have you tried just not having that thing or needing to fix it?"

"Thanks..."
 
isissxn said:
"Hey, how can I fix this thing?"

"Hmmm, have you tried just not having that thing or needing to fix it?"

"Thanks..."
Click to expand...
"I am worried, my latest Windows update failed"

"Hmmm, why don't you use Linux, so much better ..."

"Oh ... thank you so much for the suggestion ..."
 
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