Activate 'Facebook Protect' or get locked out of your account

Facebook has reportedly locked some users out after they failed to activate the new ‘Facebook Protect’ feature inside the given deadline, TheVerge reported. 

Facebook, in early March, had sent a bunch of users a spam-like e-mail that read “Your account requires advanced security from Facebook Protect”. The e-mail was to alert the users to activate the Facebook Protect feature or they would be locked out of their accounts.

“It is a security program for groups of people that are more likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, such as human rights defenders, journalists, and government officials,” said Facebook.

The feature is designed to ensure the monitoring of those accounts against probable hacking attempts and protects them by using two-factor authentication.

Many users, unfortunately, ignored the e-mail from [email protected] considering it as spam.

As it turns out, the e-mail was not a spam, and the users who hit the deadline for the activation, which was March 17, have been locked out of their Facebook accounts.

The locked-out people have gotten a message that explains the reason and offers them help to turn it o. However, it’s not always working:

I got locked out from Facebook indefinitely today because I didn’t respond to emails from FB (that looked like a scam) about its new Facebook Protect system, which I was required to enable by today. So far, the text and security key options don’t work, many report. pic.twitter.com/0aXbiqzLv7

— Liv. (@Olivia_Thiessen) March 18, 2022

Many users have posted over Twitter and other social networking platforms about how they are locked out and are having trouble getting back on to the platform.

Dear @FacebookApp: Your new Facebook Protect, which I didn’t ask for, keeps texting me an identical two-factor verification code, which continues to not work. I’m now effectively locked out of my account. This is heightened security? Guess I’ll spend more time on Twitter… @Meta

— Mike Morrell (@RealMikeMorrell) March 18, 2022

this Facebook protect thing is so annoying because it’s not letting me turn it on and I need Facebook for work so I’m really hoping Facebook fixes the stupid code

— Daniela (@itzzdaniela) March 16, 2022