A number of US states and Washington DC have asked
Meta
to spend more money to prevent
and
account takeovers by scammers. They also urged the social media company to increase staffing and to work more closely with people whose accounts are hacked.
Urging the company to address a “dramatic” surge in account takeovers, the states told Meta’s chief lawyer in a letter that fraudsters are “winning the war and running rampant on Meta” after the company in November 2022 announced thousands of job cuts focused on security and privacy.
“Social media is how millions of Americans connect,” said
New York
Attorney General Letitia James.
“Having your social media account taken over by a scammer can feel like having someone sneak into your home and change all of the locks,” James added.
‘Facebook, Instagram account takeovers increasing’
According to a report by news agency Reuters, the states said that, since 2019, New York has received a 1,000% increase in complaints about scammers who access accounts and change passwords. This enables them to read private messages and even pose as actual users to deceive friends and the public.
Meanwhile, four states — Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Vermont — reported increases in complaints exceeding 250% in the last year alone, the report said.
“To have Meta fail to properly protect users from scammers trying to hijack accounts and lock rightful owners out is unacceptable,” James added.
What Facebook-parent Meta has to say
A Meta spokeswoman said that the company invests “heavily” in technology and staffing to identify compromised accounts. The spokesperson added that the company shares tips with users and law enforcement to address the problem.
In October last year, 41 states and Washington DC sued Meta, claiming that the company designed its platforms to addict children which damages their mental health.