BALTIMORE, MD—A bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general, including Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, has sent a letter to Meta Platforms demanding that the company take stronger measures to protect users from account takeovers.

The letter (PDF) calls on Meta to “thoroughly review its data security practices for protecting its users’ accounts from being unfairly locked out or taken over by scammers.” The letter also calls on Meta to “do more to assist consumers whose accounts are taken over.”

According to the letter, Meta must increase its staff to respond to complaints about account takeovers, invest in developing new tools to detect and prevent account takeovers, and develop a process for consumers to recover if their account has been taken over.

The letter notes that account takeovers are a growing threat to users’ safety and data. The letter also cites a significant increase in the number of account takeovers in recent years. According to the letter, Meta’s current system of detecting and preventing account takeovers is not effective and that more needs to be done to protect users’ accounts.

“Social media platforms profit from user data, yet fail to prioritize user safety and protections,” said Attorney General Brown. “This coalition demands Meta improve its security measures to prevent scammers from hijacking accounts, exploiting user data and information. Meta must increase resources that help users regain control of their accounts.”

The letter concludes by calling on Meta to take responsibility for addressing the issue of account takeovers and to provide a comprehensive solution that protects users’ data and accounts.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via Pixabay