Meta’s premium subscription—Meta Verified, which includes account verification and direct support—has come under fire as many paying users report being locked out of Facebook and Instagram accounts without warning, even losing access to Facebook Groups and business profiles.

Subscribers expected enhanced assistance, but instead encountered automated responses, broken links, and dismissive replies. One user told TechCrunch they opened “around 5–6 tickets… the agents were dismissive and even closed the chat.” Even longstanding accounts with thousands of followers weren’t spared. For small business owners, these bans led to lost revenue and disrupted marketing plans.

Meta initially attributed some disruptions to a “technical error” affecting Facebook Groups, but older users say account suspensions extend beyond that and began weeks earlier. A petition demanding improvements has gathered more than 25,000 signatures, and discussions on Reddit show users offering tips and planning possible legal action.

On Reddit, one user shared their frustration:

“Meta Verified reps… extremely unhelpful… giving out canned responses… no help.”

TechCrunch notes that while some accounts have been restored after weeks or months, most remain locked out with no clear support path.

Despite costing up to $15/month, Meta Verified has been denounced by users as “completely useless”, undermining trust in the promise of paid support and verified protection.