Reality Star's Business Account Deleted by Meta Without Warning or Explanation
Beauty and the Geek star Tara Josephine was left devastated last week when her entire business account on social media was inexplicably deleted by Meta. The former reality television star and professional mermaid, aged 26, revealed the shocking news on her personal Instagram account on Friday night, a full week after her Mermaid Tarielle business page was taken down without any prior notice.
Sudden Deletion of a Decade of Work
Though she has since managed to regain access to her digital storefront, Tara stated she received no warning, strikes, or explanation from Meta for the sudden deletion. "Last week, I woke up at 6am and my entire business was gone. Not hacked. Not paused. Deleted," she began in a series of Instagram Stories on Friday. "No warning. No strikes. No explanation. Just a notification saying all three of my social accounts were removed for 'breaching community standards'. That was it."
Tara emphasized that she had been building her Mermaid Tarielle account since 2016, long before her television appearances, brand deals, or the creation of Mertopia. "Nearly 10 years of work," she lamented, highlighting the immense effort invested in growing her online presence organically.
Impact on a Small Business and Its Community
Tara, who owns Mertopia Mermaids, a company offering real-life mermaid experiences, explained that she had grown the followers on her business page to 12,000 through organic means. She frequently used the account to manage logistics for her company, including a booking system, client communication, portfolio, media list, and an income pipeline. "It was the foundation of my expanding small business. And it didn't just represent me. It represented my performers. Real people. Real creatives who rely on this work," she added.
The timing was particularly cruel, as the deletion occurred just days before a free conservation event involving council partners, environmental organisations, volunteers, media, and sponsors. "Instagram was our primary communication channel. Gone," Tara noted. "I'm not sharing this to attack anyone. I'm sharing it because this could happen to ANY small business operating online."
She stressed that for creators, artists, coaches, performers, and startups, social media is no longer optional but essential infrastructure. "When you remove someone from it, you don't just silence a profile. You cut off livelihoods," Tara asserted, underscoring the severe economic consequences of such actions.
Inconsistent Account Restoration and Premium Support Demands
Tara revealed that three of her accounts were removed: Mermaid Tarielle, Mertopia Mermaids, and her personal account. While her personal account was restored within hours, the business accounts remained permanently deleted without explanation. "My personal account was restored hours later. Same person. Same management. Same device. The other accounts? Permanently deleted. No explanation why," she said.
To make matters worse, when Tara attempted to contact Meta for support to restore her business page, she claimed she was asked to pay a subscription fee to continue the investigation into its deletion. "Now here's the part that honestly shook me. To keep a 'support ticket' open while they review this (which can take months), I have to subscribe to premium support," she explained. "$280 per month. Without that subscription, there is effectively no escalation pathway. So, to even keep the conversation alive, I have to pay. Let that sink in."
She criticized the system, stating, "Your business can be deleted without any warning. You're not told exactly why. And if you want meaningful support? You pay $280 a month just to keep your case open with no projected timeline and no guarantee of an outcome."
Fighting for Transparency and a Positive Resolution
Tara finished her posts by assuring followers she would be fighting to get her business page back, emphasizing that transparency and procedural fairness matter. Thankfully, the following day, she posted a positive update to her business page, Mermaid Tarielle, after it had been restored with the help of her friend Cal, who worked with her on Beauty and the Geek in 2022.
"At 11pm last night, I was granted access to this account again. So grateful to be back," she said. "Grateful to be here. Grateful to have this account back. And very excited for a weekend of mermaid parties ahead." Daily Mail has reached out to Meta for comment on the incident.
Tara is best known for her appearance on Beauty and the Geek in 2022, where she found love with her current boyfriend Michael Gebicki. Her experience serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by small businesses reliant on social media platforms for their operations and survival.
