My Instagram account was recently hacked. For 48hrs my identity was stolen, and people I know lost hundreds of pounds to fraud.

And what did Meta's billion-dollar platform do? Nothing.

Instagram prides itself on 'connecting people' yet when a crisis hits, it ghosts us.

There is no human support.

There is no phone number.

There is no accountability.

You are met with automated walls and cold systems that ignore pleas for help while criminals impersonate you in real time. You go around in circles without answers, without reassurance, and without protection. This is not a customer-service issue, it’s a failure to protect users from crime.

We are demanding the level of security and response expected from any platform holding our identity, our personal information and our social connections. When your bank account is compromised, you pick up the phone and someone helps you. Why can’t we do that with Instagram?

What happened to me wasn’t a small annoyance. It was identity theft and financial fraud. Friends and family were manipulated into sending money to someone pretending to be me.

Across the UK, account takeovers on social platforms are rising fast. Criminals use hacked accounts to scam, extort and deceive. These attacks damage reputations, relationships and livelihoods.

Meta treats these incidents like administrative glitches. But they are crimes, with victims.

A platform with billions of users cannot continue to hide behind automated messages while real people are left exposed.

In 2023, the UK introduced the Online Safety Act, placing a clear legal expectation on large platforms like Instagram to protect users from harm, including fraud, impersonation and illegal activity.

Under this law, platforms must:

• Identify and assess risks of harm on their services
• Have effective systems to reduce those risks
• Act quickly when harm is reported
• Provide accessible ways for users to seek help
• Prevent illegal content and activity from spreading
• Demonstrate transparency, accountability and user protection

Right now, Instagram’s handling of hacked accounts fails to meet the spirit and intention of this law. When victims report identity theft, they’re met with:

• Automated messages
• Recycled instructions
• No escalation
• No human support
• No intervention

This isn’t just poor service, it’s a failure to protect people in the way UK law now expects.

A hacked Instagram account today is not just a lost login. It gives criminals access to your personal identity; your contacts, photos, business or professional presence and reputation in real time.

Scammers can message your family, friends, colleagues and clients while pretending to be you. They can steal money, leak private information and ruin trust - and you have no way to stop it because Instagram gives you no human to speak to. This is unacceptable for a platform of Meta’s size, revenue and influence.

Here is what we propose Meta must implement:

1. Human support for account takeovers

When identity theft is happening, victims must be able to reach a real person within minutes - not be left shouting into a void.

2. Immediate account freeze options

Victims should be able to lock their account instantly to stop criminals doing further damage.

3. Stronger authentication and threat detection

Instagram must actively monitor suspicious logins, hijacked sessions and takeover patterns with the same seriousness a bank applies to fraud.

4. Clear escalation paths and timelines

If a crime is taking place, users deserve to know what is happening, who is handling it and how long recovery will take.

5. Transparency about account takeover rates

Meta should publish regular reports on hacking trends, incident volumes and the speed of response — as part of meeting its duty of care.

 

Please join me in urging Instagram (Meta) to step up and make these critical changes. It's time for them to be accountable for the safety and security of their users.

I’m one of the lucky ones, and only got my account back because I was persistent and connected with journalists who knew people who worked at Meta and tracked down Meta colleagues online. That should never be the requirement to stop a crime.

Most people do not have access to the press or industry contacts. Most people do not have someone inside Meta they can reach out to. And so they suffer, silently, while Instagram’s systems ignore them.

This is why we need change.

Meta has the money, the talent and the infrastructure to fix this. What it lacks is pressure, and that’s where we come in, and your voice can force action.

Instagram holds our:

• Identities
• Communications
• Personal memories
• Professional brands
• Communities
• Livelihoods

With that power comes responsibility.

We are calling on Meta to step up and protect the people who use their platform every single day. No one should have to panic or message journalists, just to take back their own identity.

Your safety is not worth their silence. It’s time for accountability and time for people to stop being #IgnoredbyInsta

Take action today by signing this petition to demand that Instagram take user protection seriously and support those affected by these breaches.

Thank you for reading.