Ayla Akyol, the founder and CEO of Lash Boss Melbourne, is spearheading a campaign demanding changes in Meta's support for its verified businesses in Australia after Lash's Meta accounts were recently hacked, causing significant disruption to the business but had no support from the platform.

Despite numerous attempts, Akyol said seh received no assistance from Meta, highlighting a glaring issue in the tech giant's support system.

Akyol has requested a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to investigate Meta's practices and advocate for the establishment of a help desk for Australian businesses. She points out a discrepancy between the substantial advertising fees paid to Meta by businesses and the inadequate support received in return, especially for those who have invested in becoming Meta Verified.

The recent hacking incident of Lash Boss Melbourne's accounts exposed the fragility of Meta's support system - Akyol's age was maliciously altered, leading to account disablement with no immediate recourse or assistance from Meta. The absence of a direct help line or immediate assistance for business account issues has left many businesses stranded and seeking external solutions at additional costs.

"Businesses big and small across Australia have had enough. We pay a lot of money to Meta in advertising and yet there is little to no support in return," Akyol said. She further added, "How ridiculous. We are Meta Verified and they even have my ID to verify my real age."

"Enough is enough. Too many businesses are being ripped off and brought to their knees by Meta. Every day businesses are experiencing account hacks and they are receiving no assistance from Meta. These are businesses like mine that have built their market presence online using Meta social media platforms Facebook and Instagram and they have paid a lot of money to Meta in advertising," Akyol said.

Akyol is urging the ACCC and the Prime Minister to take action against Meta's exploitation of Australian businesses. "If the Prime Minister and the ACCC really want to help Australian businesses then it is time to stop Meta's blatant exploitation of Australian businesses," she stated.

"It is not good enough that Meta just takes our money and then makes it impossible to reach them to solve things. It is time for action," Akyol concluded.

Meta's advertising revenue from local businesses is estimated at around $5 billion annually. As more businesses voice their concerns over Meta's practices, it remains to be seen how the tech giant will respond to these calls for accountability and improved support.