Don’t worry, the social network’s already on it
While the internet’s attention for social media-fueled drama is squarely focused on Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, users of a separate online feed are running into surprise suspensions. If you tried to check your Instagram feed this morning — presumably looking for all sorts of ridiculous and creative costumes — only to find your account has been locked down, you aren’t alone. Users across the app are getting hit with unexpected bans.
A deluge of posts wondering what was happening with accounts flooded the Instagram subreddit this morning, and despite the quick action of moderators to keep duplicate reports under control, the comment sections revealed a clear issue. After similar reports went viral on Twitter, Instagram finally offered an official comment through its communications handle, confirming that these random suspensions were mistakes and that the platform was investigating the cause.
Presumably, based on the language from this tweet, these false suspensions will eventually be rolled back, with some Reddit users already confirming they’ve regained access to their accounts. One individual was able to access their account by logging in using a 2FA code through Authenticator after clicking “Forgot Password,” though it seems to be an unreliable solution at best. Although the r/Instagram mods aren’t allowing users to follow up with whether they’re back into their accounts, it seems like these limitations should be over before the day’s up.
Obviously, it’s a good time to be wary of scams and other malicious activity. Specifically, don’t fall for any emails or other solicitations promising to unlock your account. This issue is a matter of waiting patiently for Instagram to fix its own bugs, not for some random individual on the web to gain access to your credentials.
We’ll keep an eye on Instagram’s comms feed for when they finally get their act together. For now, make sure those Halloween photos are saved and ready for a future draft. Don’t worry — no one will judge you for posting on November 1st.
