Just started Twitter account and it is suspended
February 10, 2015 3:17 PM Subscribe
I finally just started a Twitter account two days ago. I have not yet tweeted, retweeted or requested friends. Now I'm told the account is suspended.
I received this message.
Hey [my name]l,
Twitter has automated systems that find and remove multiple automated spam accounts in bulk. Unfortunately, it looks like this account, @my_account, got caught up in one of these spam groups by mistake.
We apologize for this inconvenience. It’s possible your account posted an update that appeared to be spam, so please be careful what you tweet or retweet. You might also want to review our help page for hacked or compromised accounts: //support.twitter.com/entries/68916. You will need to change your behavior to continue using Twitter. Repeat violations of the Twitter Rules may result in the permanent suspension of your account.
To continue using this account, please confirm below:
[a box to check] I understand that my account may be permanently suspended if I continue using Twitter in a way that violates the Twitter Rules.
I have not posted or reposted anything, much less spam. I have not tweeted, retweeted. I have not done anything on my account. I have had no behavior to change. I was coming back today to start with Twitter.
I do not want to check this box and state I have done something that violates Twitter rules. I cannot get around this box. If I try to request customer support, it sends me back to this page.
Has my account already been hacked? Is there anyway to get past this suspended account notification without checking the box?
Is there a way to notify Twitter about this rudeness?
I received this message.
Hey [my name]l,
Twitter has automated systems that find and remove multiple automated spam accounts in bulk. Unfortunately, it looks like this account, @my_account, got caught up in one of these spam groups by mistake.
We apologize for this inconvenience. It’s possible your account posted an update that appeared to be spam, so please be careful what you tweet or retweet. You might also want to review our help page for hacked or compromised accounts: //support.twitter.com/entries/68916. You will need to change your behavior to continue using Twitter. Repeat violations of the Twitter Rules may result in the permanent suspension of your account.
To continue using this account, please confirm below:
[a box to check] I understand that my account may be permanently suspended if I continue using Twitter in a way that violates the Twitter Rules.
I have not posted or reposted anything, much less spam. I have not tweeted, retweeted. I have not done anything on my account. I have had no behavior to change. I was coming back today to start with Twitter.
I do not want to check this box and state I have done something that violates Twitter rules. I cannot get around this box. If I try to request customer support, it sends me back to this page.
Has my account already been hacked? Is there anyway to get past this suspended account notification without checking the box?
Is there a way to notify Twitter about this rudeness?
Have you checked that your account wasn't hacked into? You can take a quick look at https://twitter.com/@my_account - is there anything there?
The only other explanation for this message would be that someone else signed up a look-alike account, used your email address, and posted some spam - but that is ridiculously far fetched.
If you're sure that there are no posts and you haven't been hacked, I don't think it's a big deal to check the box that says you understand whatever. But then, immediately change your password.
posted by RedOrGreen at 3:23 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
The only other explanation for this message would be that someone else signed up a look-alike account, used your email address, and posted some spam - but that is ridiculously far fetched.
If you're sure that there are no posts and you haven't been hacked, I don't think it's a big deal to check the box that says you understand whatever. But then, immediately change your password.
posted by RedOrGreen at 3:23 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
Another thing to check is your "favorites". I got this exact notice once (legitimately) for signing up for a service that was supposed to find tweets that would be relevant to my interest and favorite them for me. But I guess that's not allowed and I had to check that box to get my account back.
posted by losvedir at 3:24 PM on February 10, 2015
posted by losvedir at 3:24 PM on February 10, 2015
Response by poster: I haven't made any favorites yet. I really don't want to check a box that says I've done something wrong and which warns me I can be permanently suspended by continuing the behavior. If something did happen, the behavior could continue.
Twitter truly doesn't have any human support service to contact?
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 3:28 PM on February 10, 2015
Twitter truly doesn't have any human support service to contact?
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 3:28 PM on February 10, 2015
That looks suspiciously like Phishing to me. Are you sure it's genuine?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:29 PM on February 10, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:29 PM on February 10, 2015 [15 favorites]
I rather suspect that checking the box will take you through a page where you enter your twitter login details, but which isn't actually a twitter page. Go to twitter.com by typing it into the address bar of your browser and see what that has to say. Unless you've already clicked one of the links in the email and typed your username and password in.
posted by ambrosen at 3:54 PM on February 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by ambrosen at 3:54 PM on February 10, 2015 [4 favorites]
Both my private and public account got spam-locked today, and I'm a normal user. Visiting the Twitter website, it wanted me to do a text message verification of my account, and I did, and nothing changed. I also saw that a few people I follow reported that they or others got spam-locked today. I'm guessing that Twitter may have some kind of temporary technical problem today.
posted by dreamyshade at 3:58 PM on February 10, 2015
posted by dreamyshade at 3:58 PM on February 10, 2015
Are you able to login to your Twitter account? If so, this is a phishing attempt.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:09 PM on February 10, 2015
posted by Thorzdad at 4:09 PM on February 10, 2015
This is a thing going on today for some reason - a lot of people recently got locked out of their Twitter accounts.
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:13 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Metroid Baby at 4:13 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: No, it's not phishing. I went to twitter by typing twitter.com into the address bar of my browser. dreamyshade, metroid baby, maybe I picked a bad day to start an account.
As an author, I planned to use Twitter as a social media outreach. I haven't done these much in the past, but it is essential to expanding my readership (so I'm told).
I don't want to screw this up and have problems with Twitter when I actual do get something going there.
About ten years back, I had my identity stolen. (I doubt this has anything to do with that.) I'm only bringing this up because I have PTSD when it comes to privacy issues.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:16 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
As an author, I planned to use Twitter as a social media outreach. I haven't done these much in the past, but it is essential to expanding my readership (so I'm told).
I don't want to screw this up and have problems with Twitter when I actual do get something going there.
About ten years back, I had my identity stolen. (I doubt this has anything to do with that.) I'm only bringing this up because I have PTSD when it comes to privacy issues.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 4:16 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
As Metroid Baby says, it is a glitch. It's happening to a lot of people who use twitter on web (Twitter mobile apps seem to be unaffected). Wait a few hours and see if it goes away.
posted by clearlydemon at 4:24 PM on February 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by clearlydemon at 4:24 PM on February 10, 2015 [3 favorites]
A few minutes ago, Twitter said "We encountered an issue where some users were unable to Tweet and received a locked out notice. This issue is now resolved." It looks like my accounts are OK again.
posted by dreamyshade at 4:26 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by dreamyshade at 4:26 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
While I'm with the others above in hoping this is a glitch that will resolve itself, Twitter is a private service, so they can do just about whatever they want. If they won't let you use twitter without you checking the box, then there's not really that much you can do about it. I sincerely doubt there will be negative consequences to checking it, however. On the plus side, you've received a great object lesson that demonstrates why you should make sure you don't put all your social networking eggs in one basket, especially in baskets you don't control yourself.
posted by Aleyn at 4:39 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Aleyn at 4:39 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Just check the box. You've already agreed to those exact terms in order to setup the account. What harm is agreeing to them again?
You're not agreeing you've done something wrong, you're agreeing that you understand that Twitter can kick you off of its private service in the future if it wants to.
posted by toomuchpete at 5:04 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
You're not agreeing you've done something wrong, you're agreeing that you understand that Twitter can kick you off of its private service in the future if it wants to.
posted by toomuchpete at 5:04 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]
I really don't want to check a box that says I've done something wrong and which warns me I can be permanently suspended by continuing the behavior.
That is not what the box says. The email to you already indicates that this was maybe a thing with a reason and maybe a thing without a reason. The box just makes you state that you understand the rules and understand that your account will be suspended if you do the things you have no intention of doing.
Upon reading the thread: or it's an idiot glitch from Twitter. That said, there is no downside to clicking the box and you are not admitting anything by clicking it except that you know the rules.
posted by jessamyn at 5:15 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
That is not what the box says. The email to you already indicates that this was maybe a thing with a reason and maybe a thing without a reason. The box just makes you state that you understand the rules and understand that your account will be suspended if you do the things you have no intention of doing.
Upon reading the thread: or it's an idiot glitch from Twitter. That said, there is no downside to clicking the box and you are not admitting anything by clicking it except that you know the rules.
posted by jessamyn at 5:15 PM on February 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Something like this happened to me a few weeks ago, but on a Twitter account I've had for almost eight years.
I followed the directions for contesting the account suspension, and received a similar email (from support AT twitter DOT com). The relevant part of my email stated:
posted by Pandora Kouti at 5:46 PM on February 10, 2015
I followed the directions for contesting the account suspension, and received a similar email (from support AT twitter DOT com). The relevant part of my email stated:
We understand that you're contesting an account suspension. Please be sure to read this entire email; you will need to take further action before we will review your account for unsuspension.However, I did not have a box to check. Mine simply asked me to reply directly to that email, and I did so. My account was unsuspended about a day later. But my writing this email was the closest I came to human contact with anybody at Twitter. I'd check the headers of that email very carefully, but your email looks similar enough to mine that I wouldn't dismiss it as phishing, especially if you've logged into Twitter and confirmed that your account is currently suspended.
Please reply to this message and confirm ALL of the following:
- You've reviewed our Best Practices page: http://support.twitter.com/articles/68916
- You understand our policies and will not engage in any prohibited behavior.
If you're uncertain why your account was suspended, please review the Twitter Rules: http://www.twitter.com/rules
If you have reviewed the Twitter Rules and still do not understand why your account was suspended, or believe it was suspended in error, reply to this email and we'll review your case.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 5:46 PM on February 10, 2015
I got this e-mail after reading your post earlier today! I have never received a message like this before.
However my twitter accounts continued to function without a problem, so I just ignored the message.
Agree with glitch and am wondering if you have tried to simply keep using the site.
posted by cacao at 9:33 PM on February 10, 2015
However my twitter accounts continued to function without a problem, so I just ignored the message.
Agree with glitch and am wondering if you have tried to simply keep using the site.
posted by cacao at 9:33 PM on February 10, 2015
Response by poster: I'm at work where I can't go on Twitter. I'll try from home tonight.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:41 AM on February 11, 2015
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:41 AM on February 11, 2015
Response by poster: Checked back in. Still the same problem. I punched the box and have been declared "un-suspended." Still this sucks.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:55 PM on February 11, 2015
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:55 PM on February 11, 2015
I know that a common serial-harasser and spammer tactic is to create several Twitter accounts with no- to low-activity (sort of like yours) and sit on them for a while. After some time has passed, these accounts are then used for pumping out the usual garbage and/or bile.
Twitter has been making more noises recently about combating the harassment problems on their platform. I would speculate that they let loose an automated tool meant to find these kinds of accounts and suspend them, but the heuristics used were a little too zealous.
Like everyone above says though: this isn't a big deal. They aren't saying you have broke the rules, and all you need to do is confirm that you are aware of the Rules Of Twitter and are not planning on breaking them. It would probably be a good idea to do this to everyone once in a while.
posted by jraenar at 7:25 PM on February 12, 2015
Twitter has been making more noises recently about combating the harassment problems on their platform. I would speculate that they let loose an automated tool meant to find these kinds of accounts and suspend them, but the heuristics used were a little too zealous.
Like everyone above says though: this isn't a big deal. They aren't saying you have broke the rules, and all you need to do is confirm that you are aware of the Rules Of Twitter and are not planning on breaking them. It would probably be a good idea to do this to everyone once in a while.
posted by jraenar at 7:25 PM on February 12, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by oceanjesse at 3:22 PM on February 10, 2015 [9 favorites]