A wave of suspensions hit Facebook and Threads, knocking out influencers, pundits and even news outlets at once. The stated reason was, absurdly, 'under 13.' Meta apologized, calling it a technical error, and moved to restore the accounts.
One morning, a flood of complaints poured in across Taiwan from users whose perfectly active accounts had been classified as belonging to 'users under 13' and locked. According to United Daily News and udn, well-known influencers, current-affairs commentators and politicians, along with official media accounts, were suspended en masse under the identical reason, leaving users bewildered.
광고 문의 · 300×250Meta promptly issued a statement explaining that the episode was 'a technical error that occurred while the age-verification mechanism was running,' not an action aimed at any particular group or individual, and pledged to restore the wrongly suspended accounts quickly. The company said affected users could seek redress through the Facebook and Instagram account-suspension appeal channels.
What users can do
The recommended procedure for affected users is relatively simple: first submit, through the 'account suspension appeal' form prompted in the app or on the web, material proving one is at least 13, then wait for the system to process an automatic restoration. With appeals surging all at once, however, many reported delays in handling.
Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs responds
Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Development contacted Meta's Taiwan office to demand action as soon as complaints arrived on the morning of the 15th. The ministry said it had received Meta's reply that the problem 'appeared to be a technical error in executing the age-verification function and was not targeted at any specific group,' and announced that it had asked the operator to assist with restorations while launching its own inquiry.
The episode lays bare just how much turbulence a single malfunction can unleash when a giant platform leans on automated age and identity verification. Notably, it unfolded just as Meta was tightening its age-checking apparatus amid mounting pressure in Europe over obligations to protect minors, which suggests the debate over how to balance stronger safety, freedom of expression and recourse for errors is likely to run on for some time.
