Meta Ads has several rules on its platform; however, some rules related to personal Facebook or Instagram profiles can negatively impact your advertising account. If a personal profile is closed (due to a rule violation), you can lose access to your advertising accounts, fan pages, and other Meta business assets. Below are some personal profile rules that cause the most problems.
Fake Name
This is perhaps the most frequent violation: using a name that isn’t real. Keep in mind that personal profiles are like ID cards or official identification documents for Meta, so any false information will be considered a serious offense. Many people make the mistake of using a fictitious name, which can cause problems, especially when verifying their identity. Because of this, we should only use our real name, since if any security issues arise, Meta will request identification, and if our personal profile name doesn’t match our ID, we simply won’t pass identity verification.
Unrealistic Photo
This is another fairly common problem, as many people tend to underestimate the photos they upload to their personal profiles. The problem is that if we use fake photos or there aren’t many photos where our real faces are visible, Meta’s system will have difficulty performing facial verification, especially in cases where security requires identity verification.
Multiple People Using the Same Profile
Some companies make the mistake of using the same personal profile for multiple employees. The problem is that Meta’s rules strictly prohibit a personal profile from being used by more than one person. We must remember that Meta has administrators to manage different assets: Facebook Pages, ad accounts, Instagram accounts, WhatsApp Business accounts, among others.
Changes in IP address or connection location
Another fairly common problem (and one that triggers Meta’s alerts) is changing your device, IP address, or connection location. When Meta detects a change upon logging in or connecting, it will automatically activate its security measures and temporarily suspend the account.
Creating assets for other clients (in other countries)
Another fairly common problem is when someone creates a Facebook Page, Instagram business account, or ad account for another client (located in a different country). The issue is that Meta knows our real location, and if it detects that we are creating an asset for a business or company (located in another country), it may consider it suspicious. Therefore, it is always recommended that each client create their own digital assets and then grant us access to them (through administrator permissions).
Administrators with full control
As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker (Spiderman): “With great power comes great responsibility.” Having full control of a Meta business account can complicate matters for a personal profile, especially if the business doesn’t belong to them. Business accounts typically group several Meta assets, such as fan pages, Instagram accounts, WhatsApp Business accounts, ad accounts, and more.
Because of this, it’s advisable to only assume the level of access necessary to perform your tasks for a single client. For example, if you own or create a project, it makes sense to have “full control” over it. However, if you work with four or five clients and have full control or the highest administrator level for all of them, this can raise red flags in Meta, as most hackers tend to target the highest level of access within a Meta business center. Therefore, it’s always recommended to maintain only the basic access level on any Meta business account.
Private Messages and Spam
Another problem with penalties for personal profiles is sending private messages to people who are not our friends, or using them to spam or promote products or services.
Regarding private messages, sometimes the mistake is made of “contacting” unknown people by sending a private message. This also happens when someone comments on our fan page, and instead of “replying” to that person using the fan page’s profile, we do so with our personal profile.
Regarding spam, it is not limited to private messages; it can also occur in public spaces such as the comments section of a fan page, an Instagram account, or a group. For example, many people make the mistake of sharing links in various groups or fan pages, as well as mentioning specific products or services. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of the behavior and activities on our personal profiles to avoid such violations.
Account Hacking
It’s important to remember that each person is responsible for the security of their own personal profile, especially to prevent hacking. We must keep in mind that many account hacks are due to poor practices or user negligence. Below are some of the main security errors or oversights regarding personal profiles:
– Not having 2-step verification enabled.
– Not using genuine antivirus software on the device used to log in: mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.
– Sharing access to the personal profile with multiple people (family, friends, or coworkers).
– Using a weak password.
– Leaving the session open.
– Downloading pirated or unreliable applications or programs.
Using payment methods not registered in your name
A common mistake is using a payment method that doesn’t belong to you or is registered in someone else’s name. Because of this, it’s recommended that you use only payment methods in your name (or your company’s name). For example, a fairly common mistake is using a credit card belonging to a family member, friend, or partner to pay for ads on Meta or to purchase products/services on Meta.
Personal tip: Never rely on a single personal profile
As a personal tip, I recommend never having a single general administrator, because if something happens, you could lose access to your Meta business assets. It’s always a good idea to have a second (trusted) administrator so that if your personal profile is closed, you don’t lose access to all your assets on Meta.
What do you think about this? Do you know of any other rules for personal profiles?
If you need help with Meta Ads rules, you can contact me by visiting the following link.