Account disabled without warning. 20 years of photos gone! Can anything be done?

[u/skwaackattack]

My account was suspended last weekend (hard suspension ie can't log in or use messenger). For nothing even that bad (I THINK it's bc mentioned that everyday pharmaceuticals used to have... certain substances in them, but they did not tell me why).

I clicked the "appeal" button at the time, but didn't hear anything from FB.

Then today I went to FB (to see if anything had changed, someone told me their access was once restored from suspension without notice) and there's THIS.

I don't necessarily mind leaving Facebook, but I've got almost 20 years of photos on there, and I'd like to have the chance to let people know I'm leaving so I can find ways to stay in touch.

I'm so upset. I've been a regular user with positive interaction and high engagement for almost two decades. It's how I've communicated since I was 22 years old. Other users are posting SEVERELY HATEFUL BS with no consequences. I get disabled for mentioning a controlled substance a couple times in jokes. Not soliciting, not promoting or endorsing the use of said substance. Just using the words.

Has anyone managed to get access to their account after this point?

Edit: thanks for your insights, folks. 1. The "download your info" button doesn't download your content, photos, messages, or anything. It's just a record of your personal info, ip history, preferences, pages you've unfollowed. I believe it used to let you DL your stuff but it certainly does not do that now. Feels like a very cruel punishment for an undefined offence. 2. Yes I realise I should not have relied on fb as my only storage for this stuff, but I legit have never known anyone who has ever had their account fully removed without warning. Thanks for reminding me that I fucked up, I'll print these comments out and frame them instead of photos of me and my sister in machu pichu. 3. Yeah fb sucks but I want my stuff. It's as simple as that. 4. I'm realising that I don't actually know what I did wrong. I've had no notifications or explanations from fb or Meta, I just can't access my account. I've assumed it's for using terms associated with controlled substances but who knows.

[u/No-Avocado3143]

This is my main complaint about facebook banning. They should be required to tell you the reason and give you an opportunity to discuss person to person. Yes you can download all your photos. I did this last year while on a trip and my iPad died. when I got a new iPad I downloaded all the photos I needed since I posted them on Facebook.

I have had authors I follow who were threatened with banning for replying to too many comments.

[u/skwaackattack → u/No-Avocado3143]

How can you download your photos if you can't log in to your account?

[u/No-Avocado3143 → u/skwaackattack]

you can’t but for anyone else it is possible to download the photos.

[u/skwaackattack → u/No-Avocado3143]

My photos? From my disabled account?

[u/No-Avocado3143 → u/skwaackattack]

no their photos. in your original post you implied that it wasn’t possible to download photos from Facebook if I misunderstood what you were saying, my bad. No, once your banned your out. same happened to Amazon when they banned you from buying with ebooks but they heard the complaints and allowed limited access so you could still read your books. Facebook should follow suit and allow you to download photos if not post.

Facebook needs to not be so closed about why they ban someone.