Attorney General Miyares expressed concern over the recent surge in Facebook and Instagram account takeovers by scammers and frauds, urging Meta to review its data security practices. Miyares stated, "Protecting users’ accounts and personal information should be among the top priorities for social media giants like Meta. The rise in account takeovers is concerning and puts the privacy of nearly every American at risk."
According to a coalition of 41 attorneys general, scammers can exploit account takeovers to steal personal information, read private messages, deceive the user's contacts, and post falsely. The coalition encouraged Meta to enhance its data security measures to prevent such incidents.
In response to the issue, users who have had their accounts hijacked were advised to contact Meta immediately. The coalition also directed users who faced difficulties in resolving the issue to refer to the Facebook Help page.
The coalition's letter to Meta emphasized the importance of safeguarding users' accounts from being unfairly accessed or taken over by scammers. Attorney General Miyares and the bipartisan group of attorneys general are calling on Meta to take proactive measures in addressing the escalating threat of account takeovers in order to protect the privacy of social media users.