Facing Backlash from Facebook Admins, Meta Pledges to Tackle Mass Ban Challenges

After a wave of mass bans affecting Instagram, Facebook users have complained about the same thing, with the Admins pushing for Meta to solve the issue. 

Annoying Bans

Individuals and Facebook Groups are being impacted by mass suspensions. From complaints and organized efforts on sites like Reddit to share information, the bans have affected thousands of groups both in the U.S. and abroad and have spanned various categories.

Andy Stone, a Meta Spokesperson confirmed the company was aware of the issue and was working to correct it.

“We’re aware of a technical error that impacted some Facebook Groups. We’re fixing things now,” he said in an emailed statement.

The reason for the mass bans is not yet known, though many suspect that faulty AI-based moderation could be to blame. Based on information shared by affected users, many of the suspended Facebook groups aren’t the type that would regularly face moderation concerns, as they focus on fairly innocuous content like savings tips or deals, parenting support, groups for dog or cat owners, gaming groups, Pokémon groups, groups for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, and more.

Insufficient Notices

Some Facebook Group admins report receiving vague violation notices related to things like “terrorism-related” content or nudity, which they claim their groups haven’t posted.

While some of the impacted groups are smaller in size, many are large, with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of users.

Those who have organized to share tips about the problem are advising others not to appeal their group’s ban, but rather to wait a few days to see if the suspension is automatically reversed when the bug is fixed.

Currently, Reddit’s Facebook community (r/facebook) is filled with posts from group admins and users who are angry about the recent purge. Some report that all the groups they run have been removed at once. Some are incredulous about the supposed violations — like a group for bird photos with just under a million users getting flagged for nudity.

Others claim that their groups were already well moderated against spam — like a family-friendly Pokémon group with nearly 200,000 members, which received a violation notice that their title referenced “dangerous organizations,” or an interior design group that served millions, which received the same violation.

At least some Facebook Group admins who pay for Meta’s Verified subscription, which includes priority customer support, have been able to get help. Others, however, report that their groups have been suspended or fully deleted.

What is Meta Doing?

When asked last week about the bans, Meta declined to comment. Users are now circulating a petition that has garnered thousands of signatures so far, asking Meta to address the problem. Others, including those whose businesses were affected, are pursuing legal action.

Meta has still not shared what’s causing the issue with either individual accounts or groups.