For the IT gurus: Facebook help required

[Reynard]

I'm appealing to the Cycle Chat hive mind, because I'm going round in circles here...

My Facebook account was suspended on Tuesday, the culprit being a post about lawnmower maintenance. I have 180 days to appeal. Simple on the face of it, but it's driving me potty.

Facebook is asking me for a video selfie, but I can't get it to work. It just doesn't record, whenever I play it back prior to submission, I just get a bit of blank footage. I don't think it's the camera on my laptop, because that works for other stuff. And because I can't upload a video selfie, I can't appeal the suspension.

The only thing I can see is that the language button is set to "English US" rather than "English UK", and that might be a factor. Whenever I go through the help section, it keeps telling me that the video selfie isn't available in my region.

Does *ANYONE* on here know how I can get around this?

I know I could set up a second account, but then I would lose something like 15 years of contacts, saved archive videos and a lot of other bits and bobs.

 

[craigwend]

Can you use your phone to record the video selfie?

 

[wiggydiggy]

I've got no idea sorry, if the required steps are not working is there a way of contacting them?

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Have you tried another web browser?

I have had trouble recently trying to do things online that involved proving I was human by using video selfies (seems to be the flavour on the month with financial institutions). Changed web browser, Chrome to Edge, and it worked.

 

[AndyRM]

Do you have Facebook on your phone? The desktop version is horrendous.

 

[Reynard]

The phone is the next port of call, although I don't use it for FB. We'll give it a go.

On the laptop, the video selfie doesn't work either with chrome or edge, so might try firefox...

I have managed to dig out some emails for the appeals / account disabled process, so I shall be sending an email with all the pertinent information.

 

[AndyRM]

The phone is the next port of call, although I don't use it for FB. We'll give it a go.

On the laptop, the video selfie doesn't work either with chrome or edge, so might try firefox...

I have managed to dig out some emails for the appeals / account disabled process, so I shall be sending an email with all the pertinent information.

Their phone interface is a lot better. Good luck!

 

[Mike Ayling]

I'm appealing to the Cycle Chat hive mind, because I'm going round in circles here...

My Facebook account was suspended on Tuesday, the culprit being a post about lawnmower maintenance. I have 180 days to appeal. Simple on the face of it, but it's driving me potty.

Facebook is asking me for a video selfie, but I can't get it to work. It just doesn't record, whenever I play it back prior to submission, I just get a bit of blank footage. I don't think it's the camera on my laptop, because that works for other stuff. And because I can't upload a video selfie, I can't appeal the suspension.

The only thing I can see is that the language button is set to "English US" rather than "English UK", and that might be a factor. Whenever I go through the help section, it keeps telling me that the video selfie isn't available in my region.

Does *ANYONE* on here know how I can get around this?

I know I could set up a second account, but then I would lose something like 15 years of contacts, saved archive videos and a lot of other bits and bobs.

Crikey, what did you post on FB?

 

[Reynard]

Their phone interface is a lot better. Good luck!

Thanks. Fingers and toes and just about everything crossed.

 

[Reynard]

Crikey, what did you post on FB?

A post about servicing the cutting deck of a ride on lawnmower.

 

[AndyRM]

A post about servicing the cutting deck of a ride on lawnmower.

At a push I'd say "cutting" got flagged as a self harm method.

I got pinged for posting a video to a Cannibal Corpse video for their charmingly titled song "I Cum Blood". When I pointed out it was clearly a joke my post was reinstated.

Think there are certain words/phrases which just get autoflagged by an AI bot, then you have to get through to an actual person to point out context.

 

[Reynard]

At a push I'd say "cutting" got flagged as a self harm method.

I got pinged for posting a video to a Cannibal Corpse video for their charmingly titled song "I Cum Blood". When I pointed out it was clearly a joke my post was reinstated.

Think there are certain words/phrases which just get autoflagged by an AI bot, then you have to get through to an actual person to point out context.

That's precisely my line of thinking.

I did get the video selfie thing to work on my phone btw, but I do have the contact for their appeals dept, and I shall be sending an explanatory e-mail. I get that AI is a help when it comes to screening stuff, but as you say, it's the context that AI is totally useless at.

 

[Mike Ayling]

A post about servicing the cutting deck of a ride on lawnmower.

A bit innocuous IMHO

 

[Reynard]

A bit innocuous IMHO

Indeed. But AI can't think for itself...

 

[Reynard]

Well, my Facebook is back up and running. No need to send the stiff e-mail after all.

Their algorithms however, do need a good stiff boot up wherever it is they keep their backside...