The Dreaded "Thanks for Providing Your Info" Message on Instagram: A Comprehensive Guide

If you‘re an active Instagram user, you may have heard about or even experienced the infamous "Thanks for Providing Your Info" message that pops up when your account gets disabled. This issue has been frustrating countless users since it started becoming more widespread in late 2019.

In this ultimate guide, we‘ll take an in-depth look at why this is happening, what you can do if it happens to you, and how to protect your account going forward. We‘ll hear from experts and unpack data that sheds light on the scale of the problem. If you rely on Instagram for personal or professional use, this is essential information to understand.

Inside Instagram‘s Fraud Detection System

To appreciate why so many accounts are getting disabled, let‘s first examine how Instagram‘s fraud detection systems work. The platform uses complex machine learning algorithms to automatically detect and flag accounts that may be violating their terms of service.

Some of the key behaviors and patterns these algorithms look for include:

• Usage of unauthorized third-party apps and services for automation
• Unusually high levels of activity (likes, comments, follows, etc.) that appear bot-like
• Logging in from suspicious IP addresses that are associated with spam or fraud
• Having a high proportion of fake or bought followers compared to genuine ones
• Posting content that gets a lot of reports or contains banned hashtags
• Sending a large number of unsolicited direct messages or comments

If an account is flagged, it typically gets disabled first as a precaution while Instagram investigates. This is when users see the infamous "thanks for providing info" message. Ideally, Instagram aims to disable accounts that are genuinely violating policies while minimizing false positives of real users getting mistakenly flagged.

However, many users claim the algorithms cast too wide a net, often disabling accounts with no ill intent. Instagram itself admits its systems aren‘t perfect. In a 2020 blog post, they acknowledged, "While our systems are not perfect and we know we make mistakes, we strive to be transparent, admit our errors, and work to correct them."

The Scale and Scope of the Problem

Just how many users are impacted by disabled accounts? It‘s hard to say definitively as Instagram doesn‘t publicly disclose those numbers. However, we can use some data points to get a sense of the scale.

Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users and is one of the fastest growing social platforms. Over 63% of users log in at least once per day. For many of those users, Instagram is more than just a casual pastime – it‘s a crucial tool for business, entrepreneurship, and personal brand building.

One study found that 80% of Instagram users follow at least one business account, and 72% of users have made a purchase after seeing a product on the app. Instagram‘s influence on shopping behavior is massive and growing every year.

This means that when an account is disabled, even temporarily, it can have real economic consequences. Imagine a small business that relies on Instagram for a significant portion of its sales or leads. Or an influencer who needs to consistently post content to maintain their audience and sponsorship deals. Even just a few days of downtime can be devastating.

There are many anecdotal reports of users suffering business losses and personal stress after getting their account disabled. One journalist wrote about how she lost over 100,000 followers and important media contacts when her account was mistakenly disabled. An artist said she lost out on a major commissioned project when a client couldn‘t reach her during her account suspension.

While it‘s difficult to quantify the total economic cost, it‘s safe to say it‘s significant and touches almost every industry in some way. A survey by a social media agency found that 33% of their client accounts had been disabled at some point.

As for the reasons behind disabling, a Facebook spokesperson said that "when it comes to disabling accounts, we take action on those that break our rules." However, many users dispute whether they actually violated any rules, leading some to accuse Instagram‘s algorithms of being overly sensitive and prone to errors.

One analysis looked at over 100 tweets from users complaining about disabled accounts and found the most commonly cited reasons were:

• Usage of third-party apps (even unintentionally): 42%
• Mass liking, following, or commenting activity: 31%
• Suspicious login from unusual location: 15%
• Posting content that was flagged: 12%

It‘s worth noting that these figures are based on users self-reporting, so take them with a grain of salt. But it provides a general idea of some of the most common activities that can get you in trouble.

What to Do If Your Account Gets Disabled

So let‘s say the unthinkable happens – you go to open Instagram one day only to find that dreaded "thanks for providing info" message. What do you do?

The first step is to submit an appeal through Instagram‘s official forms, which you can find here:

• https://help.instagram.com/contact/1652567838289083
• https://help.instagram.com/contact/606967319425038

You‘ll be asked to provide your username, full name, email and a brief explanation of why you believe your account should be reactivated. Some users also report success using Instagram‘s "My Account Is Hacked" form, even if their account wasn‘t actually hacked:

• https://help.instagram.com/368191326593075

After submitting, you should receive an automated email from Instagram with further instructions within a few hours. This will include a unique code that you‘ll need to write on a piece of paper and take a photo of yourself holding up. Yes, really.

This photo verification step is how Instagram confirms you are a real person and the legitimate owner of the account. Make sure your face is clearly visible and the handwritten code is easy to read. Reply to the email with your photo attached.

Now comes the hardest part – waiting to hear back. Instagram says this process can take up to 24 hours, but anecdotally it often takes much longer.
One informal poll found that 50% of appeals were resolved within 48 hours, but for 20-25% of users it dragged on for over a week. A small but unlucky minority had to wait 3 weeks or even longer.

Part of the issue is the sheer volume of appeals Instagram‘s team has to manually review. With an estimated 1 million accounts disabled per day, the backlog grows faster than human moderators can keep up. Each appeal has to be investigated to decide if the account should be reinstated.

"It‘s an unimaginably huge challenge to try to sort out the real, well-intentioned users from the spammers and bad actors on a platform with over a billion accounts," says social media analyst Jenn Hermann. "Instagram is doing their best, but there‘s bound to be some collateral damage and false positives that slip through the cracks in the process."

Tips to Keep Your Instagram Account Safe and Avoid Getting Disabled

Once you‘ve endured the pain of having your account disabled, you‘ll want to do everything in your power to avoid a repeat experience. While no method is completely foolproof, there are concrete steps you can take to minimize your risk:

1. Never buy followers or use services that guarantee more likes and comments. These invariably rely on bots and fake accounts that Instagram is cracking down on. It‘s not worth the risk.

2. Be very selective about any third-party apps you grant access to your account. Only use reputable, official partners of Instagram found in their directory: https://business.instagram.com/partners. Remove access for any old or unused apps.

3. Avoid any spammy or overly aggressive behavior. This includes mass liking, commenting, following/unfollowing, direct messaging, etc. Stick to authentic, manual engagement and don‘t try to game the system.

4. Keep your account secure with strong login credentials and two-factor authentication. This helps prevent hackers from taking over your account and getting it disabled.

5. Be cautious about logging in from foreign IP addresses, like when using a VPN or traveling abroad. If you‘ll be accessing from a new location, consider adding it as a Trusted Device in your account settings first.

6. Familiarize yourself with Instagram‘s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines to ensure you‘re not inadvertently violating any rules with your content or behavior. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.

7. If you hire a social media manager or assistant, make sure they follow best practices and don‘t engage in any risky or spammy tactics on your behalf. You‘re ultimately responsible for what happens under your account.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While it may take some extra vigilance, it‘s well worth it to keep your account safe and in good standing.

Looking Ahead: Will Instagram Fix the Problem?

Many users are understandably frustrated that a platform as large and successful as Instagram hasn‘t done more to resolve this issue. The company has remained fairly tight-lipped, leaving users largely in the dark about why it‘s happening and what‘s being done.

However, there are some indications that Instagram is at least aware of the problem and working to address it. In a June 2022 blog post, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri wrote:

"We know we‘ve made mistakes that have prohibited some people from accessing their accounts, and we‘re working hard to improve our processes. We‘ve increased the size of our support teams and are committed to getting faster at resolving these issues."

Instagram also says they are implementing better notifications to let users know why their account was disabled, and make it clearer how to appeal. They promise to be more transparent and responsive when mistakes are made.

Another glimmer of hope lies in Instagram‘s increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to moderate content. Over time, these systems should theoretically get better at distinguishing between actual bad behavior and false positives. The algorithms will never be perfect, but we can hope they continue to improve.

At the end of the day, Instagram has a business incentive to keep its user base happy and growing. Disabling accounts erodes trust and drives people away from the platform. As more influencers and businesses speak out about the costs and frustrations, it may force the company to take swifter action to find solutions.

Conclusion & Key Takeaways

Getting your Instagram account disabled can feel like a crushing blow, whether you rely on it for personal or professional use. The "thanks for providing info" message has become notorious for its lack of clear explanation and drawn-out resolution process.

While Instagram claims these disabling are meant to protect the community from spam and abuse, many innocent users are left confused and harmed when their account is mistakenly flagged. The broad economic costs are substantial when businesses and workers lose sales, partnerships, and opportunities due to sudden loss of their online presence.

If you find yourself in this situation, the only recourse is to navigate Instagram‘s appeal forms and photo verification steps, then wait patiently for their team to review it. With some persistence and luck, most accounts do eventually get reactivated.

Moving forward, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting disabled again by steering clear of spammy behavior, third-party apps, and other risky activities. Prioritize authentic engagement and account security. Hopefully, Instagram will continue improving their systems over time to strike a better balance.

Key Takeaways:

• Instagram‘s fraud detection algorithms automatically flag and disable accounts that show suspicious behavior, but sometimes make mistakes
• Getting your account disabled can harm your online presence, business, and personal wellbeing
• To get your account back, submit an appeal via Instagram‘s forms and complete the photo verification step; the process can take anywhere from a day to several weeks
• Avoid future disabling by following Instagram‘s terms of service and avoiding any spammy tactics or unauthorized third-party tools
• While Instagram claims to be working to improve this process, it remains an ongoing source of frustration for many users who feel unfairly targeted