Hystad was suddenly banned in October last year.
The 20-year-old has over 15,000 followers on Instagram, and used the account, among other things, to communicate with others who are affected by the female disease endometriosis.
Read what Instagram accuses her of and see what they answer further down in the matter.
– I have received several messages from others who struggle with the disease and wonder why I have blocked them on Instagram. But I don’t have that at all, says a despairing Hystad.
LOST CONTACTS: Siri Hystad despairs after being kicked out of Instagram. Photo: Private
Told about illness on TV 2
She created the Instagram account several years ago, and at first she used it just for fun. But that changed over time.
– I was in an episode of the TV 2 series “Ekte”, where I talked about life with chronic endometriosis. After that, I got in touch with many people who struggle with the same thing, and with the Endometriosis Association.
– I almost wish I had been hit
– After I started sharing my experiences on Instagram, many people sent me messages and thanked me for being so open about it. I noticed that having a platform with more followers can actually be quite important.
Lost contacts for years
Hystad says that several times a week she was in contact on Instagram with others who are affected by the female disease, where they shared tips and experiences with each other.
– It is a nasty disease, because there is no cure or specific treatment that helps everyone. There is so little written about it, and everyone has different problems. You learn the most from having contact with others with endometriosis.
STRONG PAIN: Hystad is very troubled by endometriosis and used Instagram to communicate with others who are also struggling. Photo: Private
– Many of them I have been in contact with for several years, and I have had great help from being able to talk to others who can relate. Then you feel less alone. Now I have suddenly lost contact with them.
Could work from home
As the number of followers increased, Hystad also got cooperation with clothing stores, so she started to earn some money on her Instagram account.
Since she is unable to work 100 percent, being able to work from home provided a useful extra income.
– I have periods when I am so ill that I cannot get out of bed. Then it is extremely positive for me to be able to work from home.
Deactivated account
But in May 2022 the problems started.
– I was on Instagram and suddenly got a message that my account had been deactivated because I had broken the guidelines.
– Then I filled in a form with information and documentation and sent it to the help centre. After a lot of management and many messages, I was able to open the account again after five days. Then Instagram apologized for the mistake.
Amazed at the accusation
It wasn’t going to be as easy when the account was blocked again in October last year.
– I was on the app and scrolled down. Suddenly it wouldn’t load and then it said the account was disabled. I thought “Ouch, now the same thing is happening again and I have to fill in the form again”.
– But this time it said that the account had been deactivated because I had pretended to be another person. That is not true at all. I’ve used my own name on Instagram the whole time, and only posted pictures of myself and my girlfriends.
GOT THIS MESSAGE: Instagram claims that Hystad has pretended to be another person. Photo: Screenshot, Instagram
Sent countless forms
This time it would also turn out that it was not as easy to get a response from Instagram’s so-called “help centre”.
– I have submitted forms almost daily for several months, and have tried to send messages to those I have found who I think work for Meta. The only thing I got in return were automatic replies that I would receive a reply by email shortly.
HELP CENTER?: For two months, this was the only answer Siri Hystad received from Instagram’s help center. Photo: Screenshot
– They haven’t looked at the profile
After over two months of form-calling out into nowhere, Hystad finally received two slightly more “personal” auto-replies from Instagram in January.
– They write again that I have broken the rules, but that is not true. I’ve gone through all of Instagram’s guidelines myself, and none of them have been broken. It just means that they didn’t look at my profile before they deactivated it, she says.
BREACH: Instagram finally confirmed that they believe Hystad has broken the guidelines. She did not receive any further documentation of this. Photo: Screenshot
– Not important enough
In addition, Instagram writes that they do not have time to go through other than the most important matters.
– It is so arrogant, and actually a bit scary that there is no way to contact them. I send proof almost every day that I haven’t broken the policy, but no one bothers to look at it. What makes my account not important enough?
DOWN PRIORITIZED: The Meta group made it clear that they have more important matters to deal with. Photo: Screenshot
– Such a difficult company should at least have someone you can contact, with the capacity to help. But it’s all automatic – I’ve never heard from a single real person. Treating your users like this means that fewer people will use Instagram in the end.
– Have a hope
Despite the frustration over the treatment from the technology giant Meta, which runs both Instagram and Facebook, Hystad would still like to continue using her account, if she is allowed.
– It has been very frustrating. I don’t get to see my own photos and memories even once, and I think a lot about the others with endometriosis that I’ve connected with on Instagram, and that I don’t have anywhere else.
– The saddest thing is losing contact with people. But in addition, losing the collaborations I’ve had has been like losing a job out of the blue. It takes time to build up a follower base, so it’s not as simple as just creating a new user. But I have great hope that it will work out in the end.
MANY FOLLOWERS: Siri Hystad hopes she can once again get in touch with her 15,000 followers on Instagram. Photo: Screenshot, Instagram
Cut in Norway
In December, Meta closed its Norwegian sales office, and when TV 2 help you contact the PR agency Släger, which has previously answered our questions about Meta’s platforms, suddenly there is no answer in Norwegian for us either.
“We no longer serve Meta with press inquiries, so the questions you have for Meta must therefore go through their press office,” writes previous press contact.
Meta responds
From Meta central, we finally get an answer from Sami Tahir, who has the title of Communications Associate Manager, Nordics:
“Meta’s social platforms are free platforms with more than three billion users, and we invest heavily in ensuring that our platforms are safe for everyone who uses them.
We also help our users as best as possible by offering a range of tools and security features, and self-service is currently the best option for fast and efficient resolution of the vast majority of problems.”
– Frustrating
Tahir does not answer why Hystad had her account closed and who she may have pretended to be. He also does not comment on whether Meta is willing to review her case again.
On the other hand, he offers some tips to help the “user”: Complain within the app, or fill in complaint forms in the help centre.
– It was a very frustrating answer to get. This is exactly what I’ve been trying for three months now, without getting anywhere or getting an answer to what I’ve done wrong, says Siri Hystad.
TV 2 helps you repeat to Meta that Hystad has tried these tips repeatedly. We ask once again if Meta is willing to reassess her case – or at least tell us how she broke the rules.
But we don’t get any more answers from Meta.
