For small business owners who rely on social media to connect with customers, having their accounts suddenly suspended can be devastating. Two Milwaukee entrepreneurs are sharing their stories after facing this exact situation with Meta platforms.
Katy Murphy built her business, 4one4 Nutrition, over two years as a brick-and-mortar operation before transitioning to an online-only platform. With thousands of followers across Facebook and Instagram, her business was thriving until one morning in June when everything changed.
"It was easy for us to do all of that through Instagram. We didn't have to take it to another platform. We already had the connection there," Murphy said.
But on June 5, Murphy woke up to discover her business account had vanished.
"I went to my phone to check social media and in app it said my page was temporarily suspended. It said check your email," Murphy said.
Watch: Milwaukee business owners left in limbo after Meta account suspensions
The email notification claimed her account had "violated community guidelines and rules" and was no longer visible on any Meta platform. Despite immediately appealing the suspension, Murphy has received no response from the company.
When asked how this impacts her business, Murphy's answer was stark.
"I have no way to run the business without that at this time, so it's impacted every piece of it," Murphy said.
We're hearing from multiple business owners across Milwaukee who depend on social media platforms to reach customers and are left with few options when those accounts are suspended without clear explanation.
Owen Laack, a sports photographer who operates under the name "Never Laacking Shots," faces the same problem. His account, also with thousands of followers, was suspended without warning.
"I just got a message pop up that I was violating TOS [Terms of Service]. I was allowed to appeal it but I haven't heard anything. It's been a month," Laack said.
For Laack, social media isn't just a marketing tool—it's essential to his business model.
"I wouldn't have any clients if it didn't have social media," Laack said.
Understanding how Meta's suspension and appeals process works is challenging for these business owners. The company provides limited transparency about what triggers suspensions or how long appeals might take to resolve.
TMJ4 reached out to Meta regarding their account suspension policies and details on their appeals process but did not receive a response.
Despite the setback, both business owners remain determined to regain access to their accounts.
"It's my birthday today and it is my birthday wish to get the pages back. I mean I'm not giving up yet until I hear no," Murphy said.
Laack remains hopeful about his timeline for resolution.
"I hope I have my account back by basketball season," Laack said.
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