How those affected can unblock Instagram

With the right approach, it is possible to unsuspend an Instagram account. This article shows when Instagram blocks an account and what options those affected have to unsuspend Instagram.

What are the reasons for an Instagram account suspension?

Instagram accounts get suspended if the social media platform detects a violation of the terms of use, community guidelines or branded content guidelines. If there are serious offenses (e.g. terrorism, glorification of violence, hate speech, sale of firearms or drugs, offering sexual services), the account holders are often already aware of their guilt.

However, many violations occur out of ignorance or even unnoticed. Typical examples:

• Offering baby cats from your own household for sale
• Suspicion of a phishing attack (login from a public device or from abroad, use of third-party extensions with suspected phishing)
• Posting with a fake profile
• Copyright or trademark infringement (e.g. use of a photo without the copyright holder’s consent)
• Posting nude images or offensive photos
• Buying followers
• Hacker attack on the account (block to prevent further damage)

An Instagram suspension can also be imposed if the platform’s algorithm suspects spam. This impression can also arise from a supposedly normal use of Instagram, especially if a user’s behavior deviates from their usual behavior. For example, if a large number of direct messages are sent at once, perhaps even with identical content. Or if a large number of posts are posted, liked or commented on within a short period of time.

In such cases, often only the relevant Instagram actions are blocked. The user can then no longer post anything or send any direct messages. In the event of recurrence, however, longer blocks or permanent exclusion often occur.

Incidentally, as part of Meta, Instagram reserves the right to block accounts even if there have only been problems with the Facebook account. This means that the block does not necessarily have to be related to behavior on the Instagram platform.

How to unblock an Instagram account

If Instagram has suspended an account, the correct procedure depends on whether the suspension is temporary or permanent.

a) Instagram account temporarily suspended

A temporary suspension usually only lasts 24 to 48 hours. In the simplest case, those affected can therefore simply sit this period out. If there have already been several suspensions in the past, the temporary block can last up to 30 days.

To lift the Instagram account suspension, we recommend the following behavior:

• If a phishing attack is suspected, Instagram will ask the account holder to verify themselves and activate two-factor authentication for greater security. They should follow this instruction. Proof of identity can also be provided by linking the account to Facebook Business Manager.
• Sometimes logging in from a different device or reinstalling the app in combination with deleting all cookies leads to success.
• There are often several linked accounts in the Instagram account overview. If there are unknown accounts among them, these should be removed, as should the permissions for unnecessary third-party apps.

b) Instagram account permanently suspended

It becomes more difficult if an Instagram account has been permanently suspended. In this case, the account holder should first lodge an objection to the account blocking using the official form. It is advisable to explain why the blocking of the Instagram account is not justified from the account holder’s point of view.

Unfortunately, the objection often does not have the desired effect in practice – the Instagram account remains blocked. Those affected can then contact Instagram support directly and ask them to unblock the account by email, setting a deadline.

Advice: As a rule, blocked Instagram accounts are permanently deleted after around 90 days. It is then no longer possible to lift the block and restore the content, even by legal means. It is therefore important to act quickly. Contact our legal experts for a free initial consultation.

Legal framework: why is Instagram allowed to suspend accounts?

Instagram reserves the right to block accounts or individual action options in its own terms of use. This states:

„If you violate these Terms of Use or our policies, if you repeatedly infringe other people’s intellectual property rights, or where we are required to do so by law, we may – without prejudice of our termination right for good cause – completely or partially refuse to provide or stop providing the Service to you.“

“Despite this rather general notice and their ‘domiciliary right’, the operators of Instagram are not allowed to impose suspensions without good reason. This was decided by the Munich II Regional Court, for example: In the event of an unjustified and insufficiently justified block, Instagram may be obliged to unblock the account again (decision of December 16, 2020, Ref. 11 O 5166/20).

Instagram account suspended: take legal action

If those affected do not get any further with their objection and contacting Instagram support, they should contact a lawyer. They can often establish communication with the social media platform more quickly and effectively and get the account unblocked.

If Instagram does not lift the block, the way forward for unjustified blocks is to obtain a temporary injunction. However, this is only possible if the application is submitted within one month of becoming aware of the account block. If the deadline has already passed, legal action is also possible.

Result

Temporarily suspended Instagram accounts are usually unblocked within a maximum of 48 hours. In the case of a permanent block, an objection with an explanation of your own point of view sometimes helps to lift the Instagram block. If these attempts do not succeed, an experienced lawyer can take action against the unjustified account blocking.

Very briefly

We also help with other account suspensions: For example: Twitch-Account, Amazon-Account, Paypal-Account, Facebook-Account, YouTube-Account.