[Chapter-delegates] Suspension of Chapter Facebook pages for "impersonation"

Fri May 16 22:37:44 PDT 2025

I am happy to report, after intervention by a former ISOC staffer now
working for Meta, the case has been reviewed, and my personal, account,
plus the ISOC Zimbabwe, ISOC Mali, and also ISOC APAC, pages have all been
fully reinstated.

All's well that ends well, as they say.

Nevertheless Chapter leaders should still review the advice
<https://chatgpt.com/share/6808c434-0970-8013-a95d-2ce70fae59d7> on how to
safeguard against similar suspensions in the future.

Joly

On Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 10:37 AM Adebunmi Akinbo <adebunmi.akinbo at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Joly,
> I have suffered the same fate with you on my pages.
> Prior to this date, I could run ads.
> Unfortunately, someone tried using my page and card.
> Ever since, I have had issues managing my pages.
> I have also lost some pages to unknown persons.
> It would be great if Meta could help.
> Regards.
>
>
> On Wed, 23 Apr 2025 at 13:59, Ricky Mahabir via Chapter-delegates <
> chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Pages that were taken offline/blocked etc were lost. Those that were
>> suspended are still being worked on to get back online; by both Meta and
>> LCI teams. Unfortunately I do not have real details.
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Ricky P. Mahabir
>> Commissaris Vereniging De Dolfijn (Bar, Keuken en Recreatie)
>> Lions Club Parwani | (LC Member #5276037, *MJF*)
>> JCI Senator # 81045
>> 2024-2025 Secretary ISOC Suriname Chapter (www.isoc.org)
>> Secretaris Buurtvereniging Gunny's Villapark
>> Voorzitter Key Jaycees / Past President | JCI Suriname
>> / JCI Nilom
>>
>> Mobile: +597-7697377 / +597-8727832 | e-mail: rickypm at gmail.com | Skype:
>> rmahabir
>>
>> "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 9:35 AM Alejandro Lengua <alengua at vo.pe> wrote:
>>
>>> In my experience working with small businesses that have lost access to
>>> their Facebook or Instagram pages due to identity theft (usually as a
>>> result of stolen phones or malware installation), they have never received
>>> any help from META.
>>>
>>> However, I am glad to know that there are special support channels for
>>> organizations that have collaborative projects with ISOC and the LCI.
>>> Still, I believe that the number of complaints about these issues should
>>> prompt us to look for alternative channels for streaming and dissemination.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Alejandro Lengua
>>>
>>> El mié, 23 abr 2025 a las 7:23, Joly MacFie via Chapter-delegates (<
>>> chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>) escribió:
>>>
>>>> Hi Ricky,
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the feedback. Useful context.
>>>>
>>>> So, basically, left hanging by FB? Since last year? Despite
>>>> intervention from parent org?
>>>>
>>>> Were there any prophylactic measures advised by LCI?
>>>>
>>>> Joly
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 7:54 AM Ricky Mahabir <rickypm at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear all,
>>>>>
>>>>> Greetings from Suriname.
>>>>> Just wanted to point out that this issue is not specific to ISOC FB
>>>>> pages, we have experienced the same since last year with Lions Clubs FB
>>>>> pages as well. Meta was also engaged by the main organization LCI.
>>>>>
>>>>> Kind regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Ricky P. Mahabir
>>>>> Commissaris Vereniging De Dolfijn (Bar, Keuken en Recreatie)
>>>>> Lions Club Parwani | (LC Member #5276037, *MJF*)
>>>>> JCI Senator # 81045
>>>>> 2024-2025 Secretary ISOC Suriname Chapter (www.isoc.org)
>>>>> Secretaris Buurtvereniging Gunny's Villapark
>>>>> Voorzitter Key Jaycees / Past President | JCI Suriname
>>>>> / JCI Nilom
>>>>>
>>>>> Mobile: +597-7697377 / +597-8727832 | e-mail: rickypm at gmail.com |
>>>>> Skype: rmahabir
>>>>>
>>>>> "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 8:49 AM Joly MacFie via Chapter-delegates <
>>>>> chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks for the quick response, Joe.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On our end it is difficult to divine what action, if any, is being
>>>>>> taken by staff, so any update, even "nothing to report", is valuable.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Perhaps,  staff could examine the mitigation steps proposed by both
>>>>>> me and ChatGPT, and comment or modify? Or institute some kind of
>>>>>> verification program?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Joly
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 7:30 AM Dr. Joseph Lorenzo Hall <
>>>>>> hall at isoc.org> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Joly, I have been working for two weeks with Meta staff to try and
>>>>>>> get these pages restored. I asked Victor and you to provide the data that
>>>>>>> the review team needs and we've provided that to them. Typically, there are
>>>>>>> very few recourses after an appeal has been denied as with the Mali and
>>>>>>> Zimbabwe pages (please give me the details for the new page suspension
>>>>>>> off-list and I'll get that to the Meta review team).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To be clear, we'll need to keep our expectations low; in my
>>>>>>> experience pages are rarely resorted after appeal. I'm hopeful, especially
>>>>>>> given our collaboration with Meta.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We're working hard on this and so far there is nothing new to report
>>>>>>> back as it's in their queue (I assume). Can you please give us the benefit
>>>>>>> of the doubt that we are trying here? Thank you
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Joseph Lorenzo Hall PhD, Distinguished Technologist, Internet
>>>>>>> Society
>>>>>>> hall at isoc.org | +1-703-483-9504
>>>>>>> internetsociety.org | @internetsociety
>>>>>>> pgp: 3CA28D7B9F6DDBD34B1016075F86698740A9A871
>>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>> *From:* Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates-bounces at elists.isoc.org>
>>>>>>> on behalf of Joly MacFie via Chapter-delegates <
>>>>>>> chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>
>>>>>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, April 23, 2025 7:01:09 AM
>>>>>>> *To:* ISOC Chapter Delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org>
>>>>>>> *Subject:* [Chapter-delegates] Suspension of Chapter Facebook pages
>>>>>>> for "impersonation"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For ISOC.LIVE video crossposting purposes, I have, over the years,
>>>>>>> gained some admin role or other on 50+ Chapter Facebook pages. Recently a
>>>>>>> worrying trend has arisen of pages getting suspended by FB for
>>>>>>> "impersonation". Requested reviews have been summarily denied.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Apart from making these pages unavailable, this has resulted in me
>>>>>>> and other page admins having our accounts restricted, such that we can't
>>>>>>> post or manage groups. ( I manage several non-ISOC technical groups, a
>>>>>>> couple with 1000s of members)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Suspensions include
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Internet Society Zimbabwe – ISOC Zim*
>>>>>>> https://www.facebook.com/isoczim/
>>>>>>> Suspended: December 17, 2024
>>>>>>> Review Decision: Not restored (January 3, 2025)
>>>>>>> Reason: Impersonation
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *ISOC Mali – Le Chapitre malien d’Internet Society*
>>>>>>> https://www.facebook.com/isocml/
>>>>>>> Suspended: March 26, 2025
>>>>>>> Review Decision: Not restored (March 31, 2025)
>>>>>>> Reason: Impersonation
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> After these two, and since there had just been trumpeted the
>>>>>>> extension ISOC and Meta's partnership in Africa
>>>>>>> <https://www.internetsociety.org/news/press-releases/2025/internet-society-extends-multi-year-partnership-with-meta-and-announces-connectivity-co-funding-initiative/>,
>>>>>>> I reached out to Victor Ndonnang and also Chapter Support to see if strings
>>>>>>> could be pulled.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Victor, as always, was responsive, and concerned about the
>>>>>>> damage these suspensions could do to two of the region's most active
>>>>>>> chapters.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> However Vcitor's efforts appeared to be in vain. I remembered that Katie
>>>>>>> Watson Jordan <https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-watson/>, formerly
>>>>>>> a mainstay of the North America Bureau, now worked out at Meta. I reached
>>>>>>> out to her and she asked for details to pass along to the "review
>>>>>>> team'".That was around a week ago.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Chapter Support did not respond at all. No surprise there.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Today, April 23 2025, comes another suspension, not of  just a
>>>>>>> chapter, but the Asia Pacific Bureau Page, taking out a whole region! I
>>>>>>> immediately appealed this, with the result that, within minutes, the page
>>>>>>> was totally removed.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> [image: image.png]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have passed that to Katie, too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So, what's going on here? It's not like these pages were full of
>>>>>>> spam or anything...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One possible explanation is that this is an undesirable side effect
>>>>>>> of some other totally legitimate takedown. There are a number of orphaned,
>>>>>>> and conceivably even bogus ISOC pages out there, and which were reported as
>>>>>>> such, and the baby is now being thrown out with the bathwater.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Or, it just could be increased brand vigilance byISOC staff, with
>>>>>>> the same result.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It can't be 100% ignored that staff have systematically carried out
>>>>>>> a program to disengage from ISOC.LIVE, and me personally since removing my
>>>>>>> funding a year back, and this could be part of that.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But, most likely, it's probably just Meta's stupid AI.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nevertheless, it is a fact of life.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *===========WHAT TO DO?=========*
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There are a couple of things Chapter leaders can do.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1) Review the admin roles on the Chapter's FB page, and remove
>>>>>>> anybody who is not necessary. That includes me(  I am restricted from
>>>>>>> streaming anyway at present.) People can always be re-added as 'task
>>>>>>> manager'.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 2) Read these detailed instructions from ChatGPT
>>>>>>> <https://chatgpt.com/share/6808c434-0970-8013-a95d-2ce70fae59d7> on
>>>>>>> how to safeguard your page.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> These instructions include NOT using the plain ISOC Symbol as an
>>>>>>> avatar, but in turn how to make an alternative that conforms to ISOC's
>>>>>>> brand guidelines is not obvious.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> What ChatGPT does suggest is that ISOC itself recognizes chapter
>>>>>>> pages by linking to them from the main ISOC page.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Joly
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>>>>> Joly MacFie  +12185659365
>>>>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>>>>> -
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>>>> Joly MacFie  +12185659365
>>>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>>>> -
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> As a Chapter Leader, you are automatically added to the Internet
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>>>>>> which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal
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>>>>>> The Internet Society has a legitimate interest to communicate with
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>>>>>> Please note that the archive of this list is publicly accessible and
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>>>>>> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>> Joly MacFie  +12185659365
>>>> --------------------------------------
>>>> -
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> As a Chapter Leader, you are automatically added to the Internet
>>>> Society’s Chapter Leaders Community Group and the Chapter Delegates e-list,
>>>> which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal
>>>> (AMS): https://community.internetsociety.org.
>>>> The Internet Society has a legitimate interest to communicate with its
>>>> chapter leaders, you will therefore remain subscribed for the duration of
>>>> your term and will be unsubscribed automatically when your term ends.
>>>> Please note that the archive of this list is publicly accessible and
>>>> may be viewed by anyone. By submitting information to this list and
>>>> contributing to the communications, you acknowledge that the contents will
>>>> be publicly visible.
>>>> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:
>>>> https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>> As a Chapter Leader, you are automatically added to the Internet
>> Society’s Chapter Leaders Community Group and the Chapter Delegates e-list,
>> which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal
>> (AMS): https://community.internetsociety.org.
>> The Internet Society has a legitimate interest to communicate with its
>> chapter leaders, you will therefore remain subscribed for the duration of
>> your term and will be unsubscribed automatically when your term ends.
>> Please note that the archive of this list is publicly accessible and may
>> be viewed by anyone. By submitting information to this list and
>> contributing to the communications, you acknowledge that the contents will
>> be publicly visible.
>> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:
>> https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>>
>

-- 
--------------------------------------
Joly MacFie  +12185659365
--------------------------------------
-
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