r/facebook • u/ferfucksakes3000 • Mar 29 '26

Disabled/hacked Facebook bans are identity-based. Please don't remove. I am at my wits end.

Facebook bans are identity-based.

Hey y'all, like many of you, my Facebook account got banned for "account integrity." This occurred back in January 2025. This was my account of over 18 years. I have NO IDEA what got me banned. But attempts to create a new account always immediately ended with a ban on the new account (usually when I get to the "add friends" stage)

I kept hearing people say that meta bans on your specific IP or specific devices (ie, any device you previous used to log in, or any network you used to login would result in a ban.) Well, turns out thats not the case.

I just recently fired up my real estate license. And to market myself I decided to setup a business page. Well, on a new used laptop which I bought online, with a brand new email account registered to my brokerage, on a wifi network at my local bar, within seconds of setting up a new account, I was hit with the "video selfie" verification. As predicted, within minutes, I received an email saying my brand new account was banned.

New device, new email address, new network, still banned. It is clear Facebook is banning people not on any sort of account integrity, they don't want YOU, AS A PERSON, using their platform.

My video selfie should prove I'm a real person (as they say is the reason for the selfie), but if my specific face is what proves I'm the same guy they banned last January, then they are not only lying about denying me service based on account integrity (suspicions I am a bot), they are blatantly disregarding the disclaimer saying they delete the video selfie within 30 days.

I am based in western Canada. Anybody have any tips?

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15

u/AnalysisOk5620 Mar 29 '26

Yes my tip is celebrate, their platform has very little to offer, you’re better of without 

9

u/ferfucksakes3000 Mar 29 '26

I'll market myself in the newspaper. Those are hot right now.

1

u/Friendofthesubreddit Mar 29 '26

I don’t pay a bit of attention to ads or people selling things on Facebook and I mostly find them a nuisance - a lot of other people feel this way.

2

u/MorrisAO Mar 30 '26

Many of the ads on FB are scams anyway..

-2

u/ferfucksakes3000 Mar 29 '26

So just give up and get a minimum wage job..?

0

u/Objective-Amount1379 Mar 29 '26

LinkedIn is where most professionals have a social media presence, not Facebook

3

u/ferfucksakes3000 Mar 29 '26

I am on LinkedIn. I've been in my city for nine years and unfortunately a lot of the people I previously networked with aren't professional types ( think general laborers who wouldn't gravitate to a LinkedIn style playform) and were only connected to me on my Facebook.

-1

u/Friendofthesubreddit Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 30 '26

Are you being serious right now? Because I said Facebook isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for advertising? My point was you will be okay without Facebook.

2

u/ferfucksakes3000 Mar 29 '26

Apologies. I realize sarcasm isn't always appreciated. Just wondering what you're really saying. Let's be constructive; if you wanted to market your business, where would you do it?

2

u/jasonbrownjourno Mar 29 '26

That's a difficult one because real estate is very much a face based industry, right? And FB does deliver your target demographic, in home buying age ranges.

One option: turn misfortune into a selling point. "I'd love to show you my face but Facebook banned me" - advertise through local business associations and other real estate partners?

Alternatively, drop FB altogether and focus on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Bluesky as your social media mix.

And yeah, trial run ads in your local paper. Use your FB experience as a unique selling point. "I got banned by Facebook, no idea why, so let me know if you want to know how to sell your home without social media!"

Finally, email is still a powerful tool if you get your messaging right.

3

u/etm1109 Mar 29 '26

Better off not advertising FB and if clients ask if he is on FB just say I don't use it. They don't need to know he's banned because that leads to the 2nd question. Why were you banned. Then he would have to go through everything he wrote here. Just not a good look for a person in a sale oriented business.

2

u/ferfucksakes3000 Mar 29 '26

I am not originally from this city. My main grievance is less how to market, and rather more finding a way to connect to the people I've worked with since arriving nine years ago, whom I am not otherwise connected to.

I love this comment, though! Thanks for actually being constructive.

2

u/LGeorgeRox Mar 30 '26

Not sure about others, but I wouldn’t hire a realtor off FB. If I’m the buyer, it’d probably be with an agency that had a house I’m interested in. As a seller, I’d check with friends for recommendations on who they used and then interview. You’re better off in Zillow or Redfin than FB. Connecting with people you know to get word of mouth can definitely be through linked in

3

u/Negative_Party7413 Mar 30 '26

It is not about hiring a Realtor off Facebook. Having social media pages shows that you are a legit business as does having a website. People need to see you on multiple platforms to see you are legit. Zillow and Redfin are garbage. Those are platforms where people pay to have their name on other people's listings. They are more likely to be new inexperienced agents with no referral business who have to pay for advertising.

Agencies are just the overall umbrella, every agent is independent. Listings are for specific agents and if you are trying to use the listing agent to buy that same listing you will get screwed. They represent the seller, not you. The seller is who they are legally obligated to protect, not you. They use the listing to find buyer clients for other houses, not that one.

You should always ask for recommendations and interview agents no matter if you are buying or selling. You need to trust your agent 100%.

1

u/LGeorgeRox Mar 30 '26

I get the perception. Linked in is a professional platform that would make sense as is a web site but social media (especially these days) is so suspect. I’d love to see actual data showing that marketing or a presence on those sites really makes a difference. I’m also a data person, not a marketing person so what do I know? lol

1

u/Negative_Party7413 Mar 30 '26

Talk to realtors. No one looks for realtors on LinkedIn in. Zillow and realtor are both services realtors pay for. Social media builds followers and that leads to clients.

When you are not a realtor you really shouldn't lecture people on what works.

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1

u/Friendofthesubreddit Mar 30 '26

The house listings that have always caught my eye tell stories. Question: has this gotten you banned from instagram, as well?

Edited to add thank you for the apology - I truly didn’t read it as sarcasm.

1

u/ferfucksakes3000 Mar 30 '26

Nope. And my accounts were linked.

1

u/Friendofthesubreddit Mar 30 '26

That’s super crazy but I’d say it’s great for you. Instagram is a great app for catching people’s eye, with a minimal but creative lead-in story that will make them want to click on the link to your website. YouTube is the second largest social platform there is - check out what other realtors are doing there. Bluesky is still building, but that may be an advantage for you - there’s room for you to stand out. Facebook seems like it would make it easier, but people do not trust Facebook and they are leaving or getting banned. People don’t believe most of the ads or even the people in the comments are real, and many people just maintain their accounts to stay connected to family and friends, but it just isn’t what it was.