I’ve been a social media hermit for the past 3 years but recently I’ve given up and created a few accounts across different apps again. It’s unreal how strict the requirements are now.

  1. Give e-mail (ok)
  2. Give phone number (… eeh, ok)
  3. Use the new account for a while
  4. Account suspended, please upload selfie to continue (no thanks xi). There are also some verification promps where you have to record a video and rotate your face left to right

If this isn’t a message to move to indie web I don’t know what is

  • Several years ago I took an extended break from Facebook and when I tried to log back in, they wanted a copy of my drivers license to prove my identity. I declined and made a new account. Unfortunately, I still needed an account for local stuff like neighborhood info, local businesses, kids sports leagues, schools, etc. After a couple years, my son got a Quest 2 and without even trying to log in, my original FB account was magically available once again.