DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

41 State Attorneys General tell Meta to do better in preventing and mitigating account takeovers

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Dissent

A coalition of state attorneys general have sent a letter to Meta asking them to do more to help users whose accounts have been hacked or taken over.  The letter to Meta’s Chief Legal Officer  begins:

Dear Ms. Newstead:

We, the undersigned attorneys general (the “State AGs”), write to request immediate action to address the dramatic increase in user account takeovers and lockouts on Facebook and Instagram. Our offices have experienced a dramatic and persistent spike in complaints in recent years concerning account takeovers that is not only alarming for our constituents but also a substantial drain on our office resources.

[…]

Even more alarming, there is a significant risk of financial harm to both the affected user and other individuals on the platform. Many use Facebook as a hub for their businesses or to engage in consumer transactions through Facebook Marketplace; some users even have credit cards tied to their accounts. We have received a number of complaints of threat actors fraudulently charging thousands of dollars to stored credit cards. Furthermore, we have received reports of threat actors buying advertisements to run on Meta. In some cases, the ads violate your terms leading to user accounts getting banned. Finally, there are reports of threat actors posing as trusted friends and offering products for sale, or posing as a friend in need, seeking money from their “friends.”

The state attorneys general ask Meta to take immediate action, but there is also a reminder that this is not just a polite request for voluntary compliance but an issue that can result in legal action against Meta:

With this letter, we request Meta take immediate action and substantially increase its investment in account takeover mitigation tactics, as well as responding to users whose accounts were taken over. This is crucial not just to protect your users, but to reduce the unnecessary resource burden being placed on our offices to handle these large numbers of user complaints. We refuse to operate as the customer service representatives of your company. Proper investment in response and mitigation is mandatory.

The NYS Attorney General has issued a press release about the situation and letter.

The full letter to Meta can be accessed here.

h/t, @CampusCodi

Category: Business SectorLegislationState/LocalU.S.

Post navigation

← South St. Paul Public Schools investigating potential cybersecurity threat
Hamilton’s ransomware attack, week two: What we know and what we don’t →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Nigerian National Sentenced To More Than Five Years For Hacking, Fraud, And Identity Theft Scheme
  • Data breach of patient info ends in firing of Miami hospital employee
  • Texas DOT investigates breach of crash report records, sends notification letters
  • PowerSchool hacker pleads guilty, released on personal recognizance bond
  • Rewards for Justice offers $10M reward for info on RedLine developer or RedLine’s use by foreign governments
  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • California county accused of using drones to spy on residents
  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.