After losing access to a hacked Facebook account, purchasing an Oculus Quest VR headset might be among the easiest ways to get back in, according to some reports. The incredibly frustrating loss of a social media account seems to be an increasingly common problem. This could be due in part to the ongoing changes to security requirements, which can invalidate previous login methods. Malicious attacks that attempt to collect passwords or otherwise hack into the accounts are an ongoing threat as well.
Facebook is a massive social media network that hosts billions of user accounts and trillions of personal photos, videos, conversations, and notes that many consider precious memories. Managing so many users and such a large store of valuable data is an unimaginable task for most but Facebook has been growing along with its user base over the course of its 17 years in business, expanding into an equally massive advertising network that generated revenues of over $80 billion in 2020. As such, it has incredible resources to draw upon.
A recent report from NPR highlighted a workaround that might help a Facebook user regain access to a locked account. The trick involves purchasing an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, currently priced at $299, then contacting Oculus support for assistance with the inaccessible Facebook account. NPR mentioned that this technique was discovered on Reddit and, indeed, several posts can be found in r/Facebook and r/Oculus recounting similar stories.
How A Quest Helps Facebook Access
As the most popular social media network in the world, Facebook has become a target of malicious cyberattacks, and its users are subjected to repeated attempts to collect their logins. A common theme found in Reddit posts suggests Facebook might not be doing enough to assist victims of these attacks. Since users report trying for a month or more to supply Facebook with proof of identity before being told the account still couldn’t be verified. When reaching out to Oculus, the response is quick and sometimes results in access being regained in a matter of days as seen in the recent r/Oculus post linked above.
Of course, the trick might not always work, even though Oculus is quite responsive. Purchasing another Facebook hardware product, Portal, doesn’t seem to earn as much help from Facebook as buying a Quest headset does, as described on the Facebook subreddit. Naturally, this begs the question of why buying any type of hardware warrants more attention to problems with a social media account. The answer lies in the relatively new requirement for Oculus VR headset owners to link the device to a Facebook account. Since the Quest is effectively disabled when the linked Facebook account is locked, Oculus is obligated to help.
That makes sense, but why doesn't Facebook feel the same responsibility to its social media users that have arguably lost something more important than access to their $300 game machine? Facebook help is available but it is sometimes so slow and ineffectual that many simply give up trying. While Facebook is technically free, all of its users are still paying by viewing advertisements and sharing their data. Even when the Reddit trick of purchasing an Oculus Quest 2 to recover a hacked Facebook account works, it’s an expensive workaround, and a step that most people wouldn't be willing to take.