Security News > 2024 > March > We're not Meta support: State AGs tell Zuck to fix rampant account takeover problem

A group of 41 US state attorneys general, tired of serving as a customer complaint clearinghouse for Facebook and Instagram users, have sent a letter to Meta asking it to figure out how to reduce a "Dramatic and persistent spike" in account takeovers.

In a letter [PDF] dated March 5, the AGs said their offices have received skyrocketing complaints from Facebook and Instagram users about account takeovers and lockouts since 2022.

There is a known issue at Meta with account takeovers caused by phone number recycling in the US, in which numbers abandoned are given to new telco customers without being unlinked from the old customer's accounts.

Meta is aware of the problem with account takeovers due to phone number recycling in particular, but brushed off responsibility for the matter last month, saying it's the telco's responsibility to address the problem.

"Facebook doesn't have control over telecom providers who reissue phone numbers or with users having a phone number linked to their Facebook account that is no longer registered to them," Meta told us last month.

"We request Meta take immediate action and substantially increase its investment in account takeover mitigation tactics, as well as responding to users whose accounts were taken over," the AG coalition said.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/82_of_us_ags_agree/