For one South Florida woman, her business isn’t just about beauty, it’s about helping others feel confident. But when her main tool to reach clients suddenly disappeared, so did her income. After trying to solve it on her own, she turned to Help Me Howard with Brandon Beyer. Naomie Henry has spent years building her business as a nail technician and makeup artist. What started as a passion turned into a career. Naomie Henry: “I’ve been doing this for seven years.” For her, it’s about more than just the work. Naomie Henry: “I like to make other women feel beautiful about themselves.” Like many small businesses, she relies heavily on social media to reach her customers. Naomie Henry: “I use Instagram as my business platform.” It’s how customers find her, get inspiration and book appointments. Naomie Henry: “This is how I get new clientele.” But then without warning everything changed. Naomie Henry: “So my Instagram was disabled for violating community guidelines.” The reason she was given left her shocked. Naomie Henry: “Child sexual exploitation.” The name of her salon, “Naomie Nailed Me,” is likely the reason. She says it’s just an innocent play on words using her name and profession and has nothing to do with children. She says her page is strictly professional. Naomie Henry: “My nail page is nothing but nails.” She tried to fix the problem herself, but ran into another issue artificial intelligence. Instagram uses automated tools to help with customer care. Naomie Henry: “There’s nobody I can talk to directly, only an automated system.” No phone number, no real person, no clear explanation and no access to her account. Frustrated and running out of options, she reached out for help. Naomie Henry: “This is my livelihood and my business, so it’s not fair to me at all.” Howard, when a platform removes your account and it impacts your business, what can you do? Howard Finkelstein: “This is a common problem with social media and the contract with Instagram mandates arbitration, meaning you can’t go to court to recover damages like lost revenue. As AI is used in more consumer related matters, these problems will likely continue until Congress passes a law requiring more protections.” We contacted Meta, who owns Instagram. The company told us they would look into the situation. Shortly after a breakthrough, Naomie got her account back, a big relief for a small business owner who depends on social media. Naomie Henry: “I’m back again. I’m excited. Thank you Help Me Howard.” A spokesperson for Meta tells us they’re working on improving their systems to avoid situations like this in the future. Got a problem? Need a hand? Here’s how to reach us below. With this Help Me Howard I’m Brandon Beyer, 7News. CONTACT HELP ME HOWARDEmail: [email protected]: Brandon Beyer at [email protected]: 305-953-WSVNBroward: 954-761-WSVN ...read more read less