Glossary
The words platforms use when something goes wrong with an account, explained in plain language.
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- Account Status
- Account takeover
- Appeal
- Community Guidelines
- Disabled account
- Doxxing
- Identity verification
- Impersonation
- Non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII)
- Phishing
- Reach restriction
- Strike
- Suspended account
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Account Status
- A section in Instagram's settings that shows content removed for breaking the rules and features you can't use, and lets you request a review. Professional accounts can also see whether their content can be recommended.
- Account takeover
- When someone else gains control of your account, usually by changing the email, phone number and password.
- Appeal
- A formal request asking the platform to review its decision, submitted through the option in the notice or the platform's own form.
- Community Guidelines
- The rules each platform publishes about what is and isn't allowed. Meta calls them Community Standards. Most restrictions refer to them.
- Disabled account
- An account the platform has turned off over a suspected rule violation. If the appeal window closes or the appeal fails, it can become permanently disabled.
- Doxxing
- Sharing someone's private information, such as a home address or phone number, to harm or harass them. Google and the major platforms accept reports to remove it.
- Identity verification
- A check the platform uses to confirm the real owner, such as an ID upload or a video selfie. The owner completes it on their own device.
- Impersonation
- An account that pretends to be you or your brand, using your name, photos or logo to mislead people.
- Non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII)
- Intimate images or videos shared without the consent of the person shown. Platforms and Google have dedicated reporting routes for it.
- Phishing
- A fake message or page that tricks you into giving away your password or a code, often disguised as a copyright warning or a verification offer.
- Reach restriction
- When a platform limits how widely an account's content is recommended, informally called a shadowban. Some platforms show it in the account status section.
- Strike
- A warning a platform records against an account for a rule violation. On YouTube and TikTok, several strikes within a period can lead to restrictions, suspension or termination.
- Suspended account
- An account the platform has hidden or locked while the owner can still appeal. The notice usually shows an appeal option and sometimes a deadline.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- A second login step, usually a code from an app or a text message, on top of your password. Never share these codes with anyone.
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Hi, my Instagram account was suspended yesterday.
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