Instagram immediately disabled new account.
June 26, 2021 5:12 AM Subscribe
So following the advice from an earlier question about how to use Instagram to promote my book without anyone from my work finding out about it, I bought a brand new phone, signed up for a separate data plan, created a new email address, and tried to create a new Instagram account. It immediately banned the account for violating the terms of service without any explanation of what terms I have violated.
It says the account cannot be restored. I don't know what to do now. Return the phone and admit defeat?
It says the account cannot be restored. I don't know what to do now. Return the phone and admit defeat?
Agreed with the above. I have 3 Instagram accounts and I've been insta-banned at the setup stage too. Anything can trigger it. I just appealed and it was fine.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 1:00 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 1:00 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
I bought a brand new phone, signed up for a separate data plan, created a new email address, and tried to create a new Instagram account.
To many service providers, this looks exactly like suspicious activity since they don't see a history of normal activity to draw on. Certainly with Facebook, an entity that is really good at tracking your behavior across the internet unless you take steps like this to protect against it, it looks very suspicious.
I'd try appealing, I suspect they'll reverse it once they've figured out that it's a real person and not a bot.
posted by Aleyn at 2:11 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
To many service providers, this looks exactly like suspicious activity since they don't see a history of normal activity to draw on. Certainly with Facebook, an entity that is really good at tracking your behavior across the internet unless you take steps like this to protect against it, it looks very suspicious.
I'd try appealing, I suspect they'll reverse it once they've figured out that it's a real person and not a bot.
posted by Aleyn at 2:11 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
There's actually very little likelihood that Instagram knows your phone is new (phones and phone accounts are not all that trackable - more than they should be, but even so - and certainly not reliably trackable). I wouldn't blame the phone.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:43 PM on June 26, 2021
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 5:43 PM on June 26, 2021
« Older Cozy bedtime reading about MLMs and bankruptcies | Weird noise and lights flickering with AC running Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
I expect that you've fallen prey to their AI autobanning anything that looks like a bot/fake account. From a quick Google, it looks like this is something that happens occasionally to legit users. You should be able to appeal the ban from within the app and they might email you to ask for proof that you're a real human trying to set it up, which will probably require a photo with you holding up a bit of paper with the username written on it, and they'll unlock the account again. It might take a few days but it should be possible.
No need to return the phone. Follow the steps to appeal and you should be able to get the account back.
posted by fight or flight at 5:42 AM on June 26, 2021 [10 favorites]