Michael Johnson

I build SaaS & APIs for reliable, fast workflows.
@jsonscraper

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@jsonscraper I waited for this for so long. I hope we will rock it 💪

[jsonscraper @jsonscraper]

🚀 @jsonscraper is now live on Uneed!

Support us with an upvote or review - it really helps the project grow.

🎁 Bonus for everyone who supports us:
https://t.co/ZzPjD16lgb

Thanks from @jsonscraper ❤️

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

A large number of people report daily that their Instagram accounts have been disabled or suspended.

In most cases, this is due to account-integrity checks: an automated system or algorithm flagged something. Even when users submit identity documents, verify phone numbers and email addresses, and complete video selfie checks, their appeals are frequently rejected.

Be wary of third parties who claim they can “unban” your Instagram account through special representatives—these offers are fraudulent.

Scammers seek to extract money from you; in addition to losing access to your account, you risk financial loss.

If your account is locked, follow this practical approach: use another phone and create a new account (or log in with an existing one), find Meta’s Verified subscription, and subscribe to access the paid support option. Then file a support request describing the issue and requesting assistance.

Typically, support will either acknowledge that your request has been escalated to an internal case or will reject it outright. You may need to submit several requests and try to reach a competent support agent.

The main current problem is extreme delays after escalation—wait times can reach 6 months.

These delays are largely the consequence of mass layoffs at Meta and increased reliance on automated systems, which has resulted in substantially slower and less reliable handling of support cases.

Issues that previously resolved in a few days may now take months, and even then a denial remains possible.

This trend is likely to continue and will affect not only those who have already lost access to accounts but also many future users.

If Meta continues to replace human reviewers with AI, systemic failures and worsening support quality are probable.

It is important to recognize that, from Meta’s perspective, users are often treated as products: user data is used to train models, and content and ideas are monetized and leveraged to maximize advertising revenue. User welfare has not been the company’s primary focus.

By comparison, platform X demonstrates relatively better moderation practices. Where automation is implemented there, decisions are more likely to be reviewed or can be reversed.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

Anyone who claims they can unban your Instagram account is almost certainly a fraudster.

All your additional accounts are being blocked because you continue to use the same single mobile device.

To avoid this issue, use a different phone: create an account on that device and use it for a while, then log into that account from your original phone. The platform links accounts by device ID and can detect attempts to create new accounts from the same device while your original account is blocked.

You can try contacting support yourself: if you have another active account, complete Meta Verified on that account to gain access to the support chat, where you can submit an appeal to the internal review team.

However, the major problem is that appeals handled by the internal team are currently taking roughly six months to process.

The situation is poor because Meta has laid off a large number of employees and is moving many functions to automated systems and AI.

The system is configured such that if your appeal fails, if something about your submission does not meet their requirements, or if the automated system fails to recognize your documents, you are often blocked—and obtaining a reversal after that is very difficult.

Meta demonstrates limited concern for individual users; Instagram is a commercial product that leverages users and their content for commercial purposes, and users can be removed from the platform with little regard.

In short, the internal team that handles unbans is responding very slowly, likely overwhelmed by a massive influx of requests and understaffing. It is plausible that millions of accounts are banned daily, and a very large number of users are trying to be reinstated.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

The internal team that used to lift erroneous blocks now takes around 6 months to respond, if they respond at all.

In short, Meta fired a large number of employees who have been replaced by AI, leaving virtually no human oversight.

As a result, moderation is handled almost entirely by automated systems that can suspend or ban an account for very minor reasons or even previously uploaded data.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

You can get a Meta Verified subscription from a different account, complete verification there, and contact support. This method used to work well before—responses arrived quickly, typically within about 2–3 days.

However, after significant staff reductions while bans remain frequent (and may even have increased), response times have lengthened dramatically: you now often have to wait up to 6 months for a resolution.

First-level support agents have no necessary access and merely escalate requests to an internal team, which then takes an extended time to review them.

In short, the current situation is completely unacceptable.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@Hamzah_M91 @i_Kisliy I regret to inform you that the internal support team’s response time is currently 3-6 months. A five- to seven-day turnaround is a dream now.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@mchulet Follow4Follow

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@simpreetkaur_19 Codex - because it’s understand me better from first prompt

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@JulianGoldieSEO We also offer no‑cost subscription options. These include 2,000 requests and a monthly recurring free trial for TikTok data scraper.

https://t.co/F3VpDkgSAU

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@OpenAI This is excellent news. I have long awaited it.

[OpenAI @OpenAI]

We’re updating our ChatGPT Pro and Plus subscriptions to better support the growing use of Codex.

We’re introducing a new $100/month Pro tier. This new tier offers 5x more Codex usage than Plus and is best for longer, high-effort Codex sessions.

In ChatGPT, this new Pro tier still offers access to all Pro features, including the exclusive Pro model and unlimited access to Instant and Thinking models.

To celebrate the launch, we’re increasing Codex usage for a limited time through May 31st so that Pro $100 subscribers get up to 10x usage of ChatGPT Plus on Codex to build your most ambitious ideas.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

I believe that the platform is quite complex, with numerous rules to follow.

It is advisable not to post a direct link to your project; instead, you should mention it casually, as direct promotion is considered self-advertising.

It is essential to build your reputation gradually and carefully before sharing anything significant.

The platform has a plethora of stringent guidelines.

Depending on your product, it may be more logical to create TikTok videos on Instagram rather than focusing on promotion on Reddit, as it can be quite challenging for newcomers.

Additionally, there is a significant amount of spam control on Reddit, which can sometimes be excessive.

You could be banned simply for recommending something to someone, as it may be interpreted as self-promotion.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@TimJayas 25K/month 🎯

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@KevinNaughtonJr Hello, I will send you the instructions via direct message on how we proceed with this. For those who frequently handle unbans, this is the only effective method you can employ. Your reason for the block can be resolved. The key is to wait for a response from support.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@realthomasgu @jsonscraper @morujov @heyaikeedo 💪

[jsonscraper @jsonscraper]

We’ve just launched on Product Hunt 🚀

https://t.co/Se3yzoFE0p

If you have a minute, your support and honest feedback would mean a lot 🙌

We’re building this for real-world use - and every comment helps us improve.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

I wrote this from the project's work account.

I would like to expand on the idea a bit.

In addition to using a private GitHub repository separating certain functions onto a dedicated REST API server can be very beneficial.

By executing these functions on a separate server, you can release updates and hide other functionalities while fraudsters attempt to hack your features and develop new bypass methods.

This creates a continuous challenge for them as they try to circumvent your algorithms and exploit them. Over time, their motivation will diminish.

It is not necessary to apply this approach to all clients inside the SaaS product; it can be used specifically for the administrator dashboard and other critical functions that fraudsters may try to exploit but will be unable to access.

I believe this strategy will greatly simplify the issue we have managed to address.

I sincerely wish you success in tackling this problem! 💪

When we faced it in 2023, we invested a tremendous amount of effort. I initially thought that creating our own REST API server and handling requests would be prohibitively expensive and complex.

However, it turned out that this is not the case. A well-configured API with built-in object caching (Redis) in the form of a release makes the system so resilient that we are currently able to handle requests at a rate of up to 1300 requests per second (RPS) with ease.

This is the future for digital downloads security.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

@CChirchi 💯💪

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

A brief note on protecting products often distributed as downloadable packages with open-source code.

I strongly recommend moving to private GitHub repositories.

Critical functionality—especially during installation, configuration, and setup—often involves complex mathematical processes that are difficult to reverse-engineer and redeploy on a separate REST API server.

This approach is neither expensive nor complicated, yet it greatly reduces the risk of product theft by individuals who might otherwise publish it on illicit platforms and marketplaces for almost nothing.

This recommendation comes from personal experience that caused me significant stress, including removing links from Google and fighting an ongoing battle against fraudsters.

We have now largely deterred these scammers. They struggle to understand, manipulate, replicate key processes or algorithms, and have mostly shifted focus to easier targets—using ours only for fraudulent purposes.

Another key benefit: private GitHub repositories support a strong community. Developers can easily create their own private forks, share fixes, enhancements, new features, and integrations. This is the future of digital downloads.

[Michael Johnson @mjohnsoncode]

I wrote this from the project's work account.

I would like to expand on the idea a bit.

In addition to using a private GitHub repository separating certain functions onto a dedicated REST API server can be very beneficial.

By executing these functions on a separate server, you can release updates and hide other functionalities while fraudsters attempt to hack your features and develop new bypass methods.

This creates a continuous challenge for them as they try to circumvent your algorithms and exploit them. Over time, their motivation will diminish.

It is not necessary to apply this approach to all clients inside the SaaS product; it can be used specifically for the administrator dashboard and other critical functions that fraudsters may try to exploit but will be unable to access.

I believe this strategy will greatly simplify the issue we have managed to address.

I sincerely wish you success in tackling this problem! 💪

When we faced it in 2023, we invested a tremendous amount of effort. I initially thought that creating our own REST API server and handling requests would be prohibitively expensive and complex.

However, it turned out that this is not the case. A well-configured API with built-in object caching (Redis) in the form of a release makes the system so resilient that we are currently able to handle requests at a rate of up to 1300 requests per second (RPS) with ease.

This is the future for digital downloads security.