Twitter Account Suspended - What Next?
January 31, 2011 1:02 PM Subscribe
My Twitter account has been suspended and the live.com e-mail address I appear to have linked to it won't let me log in. What can I do?
OK, so back in December I created a Twitter account and all has been well with the world. Until yesterday, when my account was suspended. I suspect the reason why was because on Sunday I went on a bit of a following spree, following a bunch of users I thought I'd find interesting. The result of that is that Twitter now probably thinks I use a follow-bot (I really don't).
Thing is, I can only guess at the reasons behind the suspension because I can't log into my e-mail. Back when I created the Twitter account, I created a whole new e-mail address as well at live.com, because I wanted to keep any e-mails associated with this Twitter account separate from all my other accounts, mostly because I viewed it as more of a throwaway account. Sure enough, I haven't had the need to log into it since I created it and validated my Twitter account... until yesterday, obviously.
I went to log in and it didn't accept my password(s). I tried resetting my password but they don't ask me a secret question. They only offer to send me a reset link to my secondary e-mail account, which is one I don't recognise. I tried contacting customer support and apparently the details I gave them are incorrect, so they wont reset the password.
I've contacted Twitter but without being able to log into the e-mail associated with my Twitter account, they say they can't discuss my Twitter account with me. Which is fair enough really, but surely you would think that there would be some other way they can identify me. If my bank can do it, I cant see why Twitter can't.
Anyway, whats my next step? I assume Twitter is investigating if I use a follow-bot... will my account be automatically un-suspended when they realise I don't? If so, how long might that take?
Is there something else I can do to appeal to the Twitter gods to get my suspension lifted?
OK, so back in December I created a Twitter account and all has been well with the world. Until yesterday, when my account was suspended. I suspect the reason why was because on Sunday I went on a bit of a following spree, following a bunch of users I thought I'd find interesting. The result of that is that Twitter now probably thinks I use a follow-bot (I really don't).
Thing is, I can only guess at the reasons behind the suspension because I can't log into my e-mail. Back when I created the Twitter account, I created a whole new e-mail address as well at live.com, because I wanted to keep any e-mails associated with this Twitter account separate from all my other accounts, mostly because I viewed it as more of a throwaway account. Sure enough, I haven't had the need to log into it since I created it and validated my Twitter account... until yesterday, obviously.
I went to log in and it didn't accept my password(s). I tried resetting my password but they don't ask me a secret question. They only offer to send me a reset link to my secondary e-mail account, which is one I don't recognise. I tried contacting customer support and apparently the details I gave them are incorrect, so they wont reset the password.
I've contacted Twitter but without being able to log into the e-mail associated with my Twitter account, they say they can't discuss my Twitter account with me. Which is fair enough really, but surely you would think that there would be some other way they can identify me. If my bank can do it, I cant see why Twitter can't.
Anyway, whats my next step? I assume Twitter is investigating if I use a follow-bot... will my account be automatically un-suspended when they realise I don't? If so, how long might that take?
Is there something else I can do to appeal to the Twitter gods to get my suspension lifted?
Response by poster: KathrynT: "Are you sure you're typing the email address correctly? if you haven't logged into it in a while, is there any possibility you're missing out an underscore or something"
Fairly certain. I type it as listed in my twitter profile. If it's not that, then I'm not sure what else it could be.
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:23 PM on January 31, 2011
Fairly certain. I type it as listed in my twitter profile. If it's not that, then I'm not sure what else it could be.
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:23 PM on January 31, 2011
When you sign up at live.com, you can choose either a live.com or a hotmail.com address. In case you're mistaken which you thought you signed up for, try the other.
posted by sageleaf at 2:05 PM on January 31, 2011
posted by sageleaf at 2:05 PM on January 31, 2011
How is the secondary email one you don't recognize? That would be a red flag for me - if it's a totally different address from anything you use, then maybe the account's been hacked. That would explain the twitter suspension, too.
posted by ella wren at 3:18 PM on January 31, 2011
posted by ella wren at 3:18 PM on January 31, 2011
As someone who works in online dispute resolution and sees similar issues a lot:
Yes it sounds like someone malicious guessed your password and got your Twitter account suspended, and then perhaps took over your live.com account if the passwords were similar. Yes your bank has all sorts of semi-secret questions it can ask you that you gave them when you signed up, but all Twitter has is your email address. They have no idea who you are, and unless you can regain control of the live.com it is unlikely they will return control of the account to you. The only thing you might try is suggest to support that they take a look at the IP addresses of your normal logins and the more recent logins.
posted by falconred at 4:47 PM on January 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yes it sounds like someone malicious guessed your password and got your Twitter account suspended, and then perhaps took over your live.com account if the passwords were similar. Yes your bank has all sorts of semi-secret questions it can ask you that you gave them when you signed up, but all Twitter has is your email address. They have no idea who you are, and unless you can regain control of the live.com it is unlikely they will return control of the account to you. The only thing you might try is suggest to support that they take a look at the IP addresses of your normal logins and the more recent logins.
posted by falconred at 4:47 PM on January 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
And to add to falconred's excellent answer, if you're using that password (or a very similar one) at any other websites, go change it right now. Particularly for sites that could get expensive for you, like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.
posted by ErikaB at 5:56 PM on January 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ErikaB at 5:56 PM on January 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by KathrynT at 1:18 PM on January 31, 2011