A simple security check every business needs to do
If you run a business and use Facebook, Instagram, or ads, this is one of those unsexy but critical conversations.
Because here’s the truth I see all the time – businesses think they “own” their social media accounts… until something goes wrong.
An employee leaves.
An agency relationship ends.
An ad account gets locked.
Someone can’t log in anymore.
And suddenly everyone is asking the same question: Wait… who actually owns this account?
Access vs. ownership – they are not the same thing
One of the biggest misconceptions with Meta platforms is confusing access with ownership.
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Access means someone can post, manage, run ads, or analyze data.
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Ownership means a Business Manager controls the asset permanently.
If your business does not own its own Facebook page, Instagram account, or ad account inside Meta Business Suite, you are relying on someone else’s goodwill and availability. That is not a security plan.
Step one – check Page Roles and account access
Start with the basics.
For Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts:
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Go into settings
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Find Page Roles or Business Assets
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Review every person listed
Ask yourself:
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Do I recognize every name?
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Does this person still work here?
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Does this agency relationship still exist?
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Does this level of access make sense?
If someone no longer needs access, remove them. Not later. Now.
Lingering access is one of the easiest ways accounts get compromised – or accidentally damaged.
Step two – confirm who OWNS the accounts
This is the part most people skip, and it’s the part that causes the biggest problems.
Inside Meta Business Suite, every asset has an owner:
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Facebook Pages
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Instagram accounts
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Ad accounts
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Pixels
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Catalogs
Your business should own these assets through your own Business Manager, not:
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A former employee’s Business Manager
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A marketing agency’s Business Manager
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A freelancer’s personal setup
If you don’t know whose Business Manager owns your assets, that’s your sign to investigate.
Why this matters more than you think
When your business doesn’t own its assets:
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You can lose access overnight
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You may not be able to run ads
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You may not be able to recover hacked accounts
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You are vulnerable during staff or vendor transitions
I’ve seen businesses spend years building audiences only to be locked out because ownership was never set up correctly in the beginning.
This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s preventative maintenance.
What ownership should look like
At a minimum:
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Your business has its own Meta Business Manager
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That Business Manager owns all pages, accounts, and ad accounts
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Individuals and agencies are added with appropriate access
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Ownership never changes hands – access does
This structure protects you while still allowing experts to do their jobs.
If this feels overwhelming, you’re not alone
Meta does not make this intuitive. Most business owners were never taught this. And many agencies didn’t set things up correctly years ago because the rules were different – or unclear.
That’s why I made this video.
Watch it. Follow along. Check your access. Confirm ownership.
And if you discover something doesn’t look right, fix it before you actually need it to be right.
If you want help auditing your Meta setup or cleaning up access and ownership, this is exactly the kind of thing we help clients with every day. Quietly. Correctly. Before it becomes a crisis.
Because the best social media problems are the ones you never have to deal with.
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