My name is Mandy Bare, owner of Santaclauswrites.com, a small business that has been a joy to a community thanks to its Facebook page, which I painstakingly grew to reach 651,000 followers over a 15 year period. But in a flash, our beloved space was desecrated by hackers. Inappropriate content replaced the cheerful posts, leaving us distraught and powerless. My account was stolen with one single link and no consent on my part. 

My personal tragedy reveals the inadequate protective measures provided by social media platforms. These failings have not merely stripped me of my online community presence; they have disrespected our followers who have been subjected to inappropriate content, contrary to their expectations of wholesome interaction on our page. I've lost ownership of thousands of my customers' reviews, pictures of my own children, words I wrote and content I created. Fifteen years of my life’s work now bear the name of a thief—without a single consequence. Complete Injustice. 

Tragically, my story is not unique. In 2023, 70% of Instagram and Facebook users experienced a lockout from their accounts, and 71% saw their digital identities misused by the infiltrators. The issue is magnified when we consider the staggering number of around 67,941 Facebook accounts compromised every month in the United States alone. It is a grave violation of personal and entrepreneurial rights, and it needs to be addressed urgently. (source. Revealing the Unnerving Social Media Hacking Statistics for 2024 by ProfileTree)

We urge Facebook and other social media platforms to boost their safety measures against hackers. People’s digital spaces symbolize their hard work, emotions, and identities. They deserve the safety and security that is currently lacking. Strengthening the protection against hackers not only safeguards individual rights but also fosters trust in these platforms that are an integral part of our lives.  

My plea is for Facebook, Instagram and all Social Media to not allow singular link access into a page’s admin, and to always require consent of ALL owners/admins of the page, each requiring multi factor authentication, for a page or account to ever switch ownership.

Please, stand with us in asking for improved safeguards. It’s time for social media giants to invest in superior protection. Your signature can save personal pages, small businesses, and communities from devastating breaches. Sign this petition today and protect the digital spaces that mean so much to so many.