Meta Platforms Sued Over ‘Repeated Failure’ to Protect Facebook Accounts Amid Alleged Hacking Problem

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Meta Platforms faces a proposed class action lawsuit that alleges the social media giant has allowed hackers to “abscond” with hundreds of thousands of Facebook accounts, and the personal information therein, while denying users any method to regain access to their own accounts.

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The 27-page Facebook lawsuit accuses Meta of violating its own terms of service and privacy policy by systematically denying users access to their own accounts amid an apparently pervasive hacking problem whereby unauthorized parties gain access to users’ accounts and change the passwords and associated contact information. Compounding matters, the suit adds, is that tens of thousands of Facebook users without access to their own accounts have dealt with hackers “posting inappropriate content, soliciting those in their social networks under false pretenses by masquerading as the users, and causing harm to users’ goodwill and reputations.”

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“As such, Meta’s notorious and repeat failure to protect users’ data is a core problem worsened by Meta’s recent and total failures to assist users who were locked out of other [sic] own accounts,” the complaint reads.

The class action suit summarizes that Meta “does nothing” for those who lose access to their accounts and information as a result hacking, namely because the company “decimated” its customer support staff through mass layoffs in 2022 and 2023. According to the filing, data shows that hacking activity on Facebook spiked dramatically in the wake of the layoffs.

“Without its customer support team, which Meta cut to increase its bottom line, Meta only provides a circular process that allows hackers to continue to maintain control of Plaintiff’s and Class members’ accounts,” the suit charges.

Meta’s terms of service and privacy policy state that the company works hard to maintain security on the platform and will investigate suspicious activity to combat bad actors, the case relays. At the same time, the defendant is allegedly aware that hackers specifically target Facebook for the wealth of personal information housed in user accounts, and that hackers frequently breach Meta’s security while consumers are left with no options to regain control of their accounts.

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“Despite its promises, Meta lets hackers take control of consumer accounts with impunity because Meta fails to provide any recourse for consumers to take their accounts back from hackers,” the filing alleges, accusing Meta of “turn[ing] a blind eye” to “systematic security breaches on its platform.”

Ultimately, Meta has breached its contract with users by failing to allow them to regain access to their Facebook accounts, and the information therein, while hackers continue to use them.

The alleged Facebook hacking issues outlined in the lawsuit were highlighted in March 2024 by a group of 40 state attorneys general and the attorney general for the District of Columbia in a letter “detailing their concern with the sharp increase in complaints regarding Facebook account takeovers and lockouts.” In the letter, the attorneys general “emphasized the utter panic of consumers in their states” who have had their Facebook accounts taken away through hacking. The letter urged Facebook to act immediately to increase its investment in account mitigation tactics and respond to users whose accounts were taken over.

The Facebook hacking lawsuit looks to cover all individuals subject to Meta’s terms of service who lost access to their personal Facebook accounts, used for personal or non-commercial purposes, and have not regained access to their accounts after March 2023 and through the date the proposed class is certified by the court.

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