Instagram Stop Unwarranted User Restrictions &Provide A Reasonable Appeal Process

My name is Todd Burton aka @rhinosurfer, I joined Instagram a little over 3 years ago, it is has since become my primary marketing tool for building and interacting with my community and "do good" business. I also started a hashtag called #respectthehorn and was featured by the Huffington Post in 2013 as one of 8 "Hunks with a Heart" for my efforts to raise awareness surrounding the poaching issue. In September of this year I launched my website designed to raise awareness and funds for change through collaborative apparel capsule collections.

The reason for this petition is that I was recently stripped of my main privileges which include commenting & liking photos as well as posting any of my own images with commentary or hashtags. I was required to remove my website (www.rhinosurfer.org) from my profile in order to regain limited privileges without any specific notice or reason from Instagram.

These restrictions from Instagram came with no notification any offense or violation of the App's terms of service. This may not sound like a big deal but when Instagram represents 99% of your community and is your only marketing vehicle as a small business owner - it is a big deal. I am a sole proprietor and my e-commerce sales have been reduced to $0 over the last several weeks following these unwarranted restrictions. I am also not the only person this is happening to. There are many of us, frustrated with no attention to our experiences or to this issue from Instagram.

After exhausting all channels, automated "Tell Us Why" to appeal on Instagram (5+ submissions with no response), telephone calls to Instagram (automated no way to speak with a real person), and also through the support portal on Facebook (again with no acknowledgement or response), I am petitioning Instagram for the following:

1. For my privileges to be restored for my two accounts @rhinosurfer & @respectthehorn
2. For the blocks or restrictions on my website(s): www.respectthehorn.org​, www.rhinosurfer.org​, www.txddbxrtxn.com to be removed accompanied by a written explanation as two why they were restricted
3. For improved transparency from Instagram on why they were restrict, there needs to be a procedural and policy change - "Users" deserve proper notification of an restriction accompanied by notice of a trigger violation
4. And lastly if a User experiences a restriction or interruption of service there should be a clear and accessible way to appeal and reverse a restriction if it is found or proven to be unwarranted
5. Users who false report other accounts should be banned form the community and restricted from use.

My website is a for profit website with proceeds from each sale donated to a cause or charity as outlined specifically with each piece of merchandise for sale. I am unaware of any violations I could be guilty of and believe that I am a victim of "Troll" activity where people maliciously report account in order to interrupt their access and or experience.

This is a widespread problem on Instagram where many pornographic & or spam accounts, just for example, are allowed to operate while in clear violation of Instagram's terms of service". In the meantime people such as myself who are active in the community and remain good stewards of it are penalized with no recourse.

I put everything I have into producing just a handful of t-shirts to sell in order to make a livelihood and do good for our world - this is my mission and the purpose of my business. 

Please help me & others that being effected by this issue. My goal is to improve the Instagram community and user experiences and not hurt it. With 60 million pictures posted daily this is a big undertaking to monitor and protect the community but I believe there are ways to do this such as credit card user authentication as just one example.

Thank you for helping escalate this topic, I'd also invite you to help me raise awareness in my efforts to #savetherhinos and do good.

Todd Burton aka @rhinosurfer​

www.rhinosurfer.org

"Surf more, stress less. Do good. Save the rhinos & wear something that matters."