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Meta account disabled? You have strong rights.

The German Federal Court (BGH III ZR 179/20, 2021) set clear rules for platform suspensions: notice, hearing, redecision. If Meta skips them, the suspension is unlawful.

Free assessmentAll platforms

Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. (Dublin) · EU – BGH III ZR 179/20 als Maßstab

Typical Meta suspensions

  • 'Community Standards violation' without specific facts
  • Permanent account deactivation without warning
  • Ad account locked — marketing budget keeps draining
  • Reach loss (shadow ban / de-ranking)
  • Meta Verified status revoked
  • Marketplace reputation deleted
  • Identity allegations despite uploaded ID
  • WhatsApp Business account banned without explanation
Legal grounds

Legal levers

Meta is a Very Large Online Platform under Art. 33 DSA — subject to the strictest obligations. On top sits the well-established BGH precedent on platform suspensions.

BGH III ZR 179/20

Procedural triad

Before any suspension Meta must inform, hear you, and redecide based on your statement. Without these procedural rights the suspension is unlawful — claim for reinstatement.

DSA Art. 17

Statement of Reasons

Statement of Reasons with concrete facts, ToS clause and appeal route. Meta publishes every Statement of Reasons in the DSA Transparency Database — we use that as evidence.

DSA Art. 33 ff.

VLOP duties

Meta must conduct risk assessments, allow audits, grant researcher access. Violations carry fines up to 6 % of global annual turnover — strong leverage.

DSA Art. 21

Out-of-court settlement

The Appeals Centre Europe (Dublin) is certified for Meta complaints. We route you there strategically or directly to court.

GDPR Art. 22

Automated decision

Algorithmic moderation without human oversight is challengeable per ECJ C-634/21 — typical for automatic account deactivations.

GDPR Art. 82

Damages

ECJ C-300/21 (Österreichische Post) recognizes non-material damages too. Reach loss, ad-account downtime, stress: all compensable.

How we proceed

  1. 01

    Evidence & data request

    Screenshots of the suspension messages, Statement of Reasons from the DSA Transparency DB, reach data. In parallel, GDPR Art. 15 request.

  2. 02

    Internal complaint DSA Art. 20

    We file via the internal complaint system (free, 6-month deadline). Often successful with VLOPs.

  3. 03

    Formal letter + Appeals Centre Europe

    Formal letter with deadline + parallel proceeding at Appeals Centre Europe in Dublin. Two-track pressure works.

  4. 04

    Interim injunction at home court

    For urgency (campaign, business account, live ads): interim injunction with motion for provisional reinstatement.

Frequently asked

My account was permanently deleted — can I still sue?
Yes. Even after deletion, damages and reinstatement claims survive. Often the data is still in Meta's 30-day backup.
What if Meta says I violated the Community Standards?
Meta must point to the specific post, the specific standard and why it applies. A bare reference doesn't suffice under BGH 179/20 — such bans are regularly challengeable.
My ad account is locked — it's hurting business daily.
Classic case for an interim injunction. We pursue urgent relief with a motion for provisional reinstatement — usually decided within days.
What if I really did violate the standards?
Proportionality still applies. Permanent ban for a first offence is often disproportionate. Reduction to a temporary ban or conditional reinstatement is frequently possible.
Can I claim damages too?
If you can show actual harm (lost ad revenue, reach loss with business impact) yes — including non-material damages per ECJ C-300/21.

Account suspended? We'll review your case in 24 hours.

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