Amazon ID checks and Meta bans expose rented platform risk
Authors are being pushed to own their customer data after watching KDP verification demands and Facebook account lockouts cut off access with little warning
Here's the uncomfortable truth this piece puts plainly: the follower count you've spent years building isn't yours, it's a lease. Amazon can ask for your ID and a selfie mid-career, Meta can disable your account, and even the Oversight Board has flagged the due-process gaps. None of that is hypothetical anymore — it's happening to authors right now while they wait on hold.
Why it matters to you: If your email list and sales history live only inside Amazon or Facebook's systems, you don't actually control your own income.
This story ran in the Coral Wire edition of Fri, Sep 25 2026, when the Coral Index stood at 42/100 (Headwinds).
Coverage — 1 source
Every outlet found reporting this story.
- You Don’t Own Your Platform - Milissa L. Storymilissalstory.substack.com
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