Christmas: Cheese & Crackers, or Cyber Crime…
Well, this definitely wasn’t a topic I was ever expecting to cover. You may have noticed my Instagram has disappeared! Time for an update…
On Monday 22nd December, my personal Facebook account was hacked. They posted child sexual exploitation photos, multiple times. As a result, my Facebook account was suspended. Understandable! However, because all my Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked… my Instagram accounts have also been suspended. Both personal and professional/business. It’s honestly been a nightmare. If you know me, I’m usually a positive and optimistic person. Right now I’m typing this in bed because I can’t face getting up.
The idea that 3 years worth of building a beautiful community on Instagram, which is the primary source of marketing and income, and basically the core of my business, could be gone… is crushing. I know I need to focus on improving my website and using emails for now, perhaps Youtube… but it’s so difficult to find the motivation. You never think something like this will happen to you, until it does. I’m trying to find the balance between moving forward with strength, and allowing myself to just mope.
I am emailing Facebook and Instagram daily, just trying to get through to an actual human. I’ve contacted The Sun, Guardian, Times etc, to try and get more eyes on the issue, and therefore more pressure on the social media platforms. I’ve reported it to cyber crimes and the police.
On top of the business impact, it’s personally very isolating. Social media is just that, social. I have so many wonderful online friends. Living alone, and being single at Christmas (for the first time since age 16), is lonely enough, without being cut off from social media. Even if I don’t message them daily, I see their posts, their stories and updates. I never realised how just seeing what other people are up to can be so comforting. There’s also the fact there are so many people on socials, meaning that whatever time of day or night it is, someone is online. I’m a nightbird. I could happily sleep until midday and be up until 3am. Without social media, it gets to 10pm and I have no-one to talk to. It’s very weird and jarring.
Soon I’ll be in London, staying with friends and celebrating the New Year at a black-tie Traitors Themed party! I just wanted to update you on the situation and share my thoughts.
But while you’re here…
I encourage you to update your passwords.
Use a different password for everything (Bitwarden is a free platform that can track your passwords for you)
Make the password a random jumble of letters and numbers, not real words (Bitwarden again can generate these for you)
Use a two-factor verification app (not just your phone number as a back up, Ente Auth is a free secure app)
Update/change the passwords every few months… or at least once a year
