After WhatsApp — Unusual Wave of Instagram Bans in Israel
A new wave of Instagram account bans has been recorded in Israel. Users are massively losing access without visible reasons. Cybersecurity expert Osher Ravah suggests a targeted attack by anti-Israeli elements, likely from Turkey, using bots for mass complaints. Attackers demand ransom for restoring access. A glitch in Meta's systems may spread the ban to other accounts on the same device.
A new wave of Instagram account bans has been recorded in Israel, with reports starting on Monday. Users are suddenly finding their accounts blocked without apparent cause, with notifications citing suspicions about 'account integrity and identity authenticity.' Cybersecurity expert Osher Ravah, commenting to N12, suggested this may be a targeted attack whose scale continues to grow. He believes anti-Israeli elements, likely from Turkey, are behind it. Accounts with phone numbers or call buttons are primarily targeted. The attack mechanism uses bots to mass-report selected pages, creating an appearance of violations. After the ban, attackers contact the owner via WhatsApp and demand ransom for restoring access. An additional danger is a glitch in Meta's systems that may spread the ban to other accounts used on the same device. Users are advised to immediately appeal after receiving a ban notification. If the automatic check rejects the appeal, recovery options are sharply reduced. Among the few options are contacting a company representative through Meta Verified subscription or consulting a lawyer.