Why Facebook Jail is going to become more commonplace for users in the future. And what you can do about it.
So you’re in Facebook Jail, banned, restricted from liking, commenting and posting. I’ve been there recently and I’d like to relate my experience and what I’ve learned as a digital marketer. It’s correct to say that it’s becoming difficult to play virtual whack-a-mole with Facebook’s “Community standards”. There is a fine line between trampling freedom of speech and protecting the community from abuse. Unfortunately as a marketer one slip up can cost you. I have had to create a second profile. Give that profile admin access to my business manager and client pages.
This way should Facebook ban my main profile for whatever reason I can still get access to my earning power. Facebook’s platform is no longer a free place to express your opinion, as its algorithm seems to have gone mad. Like 1984, the thought police are becoming a reality. Facebook may mean well. Yet its becoming odious trying to anticipate what the bot does next. That is, if your interaction, past or present will get you locked out of your means of earning a living.
I am in Facebook jail now for the 4th time with a warning. All for doing nothing more than being sarcastic with my own friends. This has made me realize that I need to reevaluate my use of the platform moving forward. I am creating a roadmap for my eventual exit. You should consider it as well. If only to limit your use of the platform for sponsoring posts. Facebook’s algorithm is ramping up its banning executions, and you should be aware of this. Any small infraction it seems will remove your ability to earn. There are always alternatives to sharing your personal life. Let’s start talking about them.
What are my alternatives?
But Ian, you awesome marketing person you say, what else is there but Facebook!? There’s Twitter, for one. I have long ago left that platform for the completely opposite reason than Facebook. Twitter didn’t have any controls at all. Then you have the choice: stay and ignore the trolls and cancel culture or leave and keep your sanity. I chose to not interact on Twitter anymore and read it occasionally. I still acknowledge tags and retweets. But I do not find myself in heavy discussions on the platform anymore. It has kept me sane. This is what I plan to do with Facebook, moving forward, as a first step.
Keep in mind this is for your personal use and is not recommended for marketing purposes. Unfortunately you will still need a presence on Facebook to run ad campaigns. This also applies to Google. There is no way of getting around that virtual monopoly. Separate your personal feed with your business feed.
“But for a company that’s fervently trying to convince lawmakers it’s not a monopoly, some advice: It’s usually a bad thing when an entire sector of the economy is dependent on your service in order to survive.”
Blocked on Facebook With Nowhere to Turn
So beyond Twitter there are many “social networks” you can join. You can invite your family and friends to any of these and help grow them. The order of these are ones I have used and recommend. Specifically the first three as I have used them and continue to use them. They are the best in use and adoption. I won’t go into the pros and cons of each, as this is not the scope of this article. I do encourage you to at least sign up for them and try for yourself.
- MeWe – Free but with a subscription service for more content. Promises not to sell your data nor does it manage your postings.
- Minds – a free-speech oriented servIce with no censorship. New users can take advantage of the “migrate from Facebook” function. Savvy users can also generate income via their social networking by getting monthly support for monetised posts and/or ad sharing.
- Parler – Ah the bad boy of the Internet. This is (it returned in May to the app stores) the “alternative” alternative to Facebook and Twitter. Its akin to MeWe & Minds. Worth a sign up and try.
- Vero – Haven’t used this in years but I loved the interface. Vero’s main selling points are that it’s ad free and doesn’t sort your timeline using algorithms. It is a paid service tho. You can do some free things with it. But, yeah, gotta pay.
- Diaspora – Created in 2010 as a direct alternative to Facebook. Based on three principles: decentralization, freedom and privacy. It’s free & best of all, users own their own data. I have never used it. So someone can tell me about their experience.
Now we’ve discussed some alternatives. The question is, is this enough for one to switch? For you to move to another platform you will need to bring your friends with you. This is Facebook’s number one draw and hook. You are where everyone is. It’s like going to a house party and everyone’s there. You really don’t want to go where there isn’t anything happening. If you encourage your family and friends to at least try it, you might reduce Facebook’s grip. Maybe wishful thinking? But not impossible.
But, I like Facebook, can’t I just stay here?
Ok. So you’ve decided moving your life isn’t in the cards. So how can you protect yourself from Facebook’s bot? Unfortunately there is not much you can do, but you can give it a shot.
Just remember that Facebook is not only “Facebook”. It’s Instagram, its Whatsapp and Messenger. All these they plan to mesh together in a bigger app. Or at least they will make them work together as one unit but with different apps. That means that if you commit an infraction or lose your ability to post on one you may lose the ability to post on others. My biggest fear is not being able to use Whatsapp at this juncture. I talked about the strength of Whatsapp for marketers in a previous post. If I lose the ability to message because I’m in Facebook Jail, business will definitely suffer.
Here are some ways of protecting yourself. Facebook isn’t controlled by the “community” anymore, keep that in mind. Yes people can report posts, but those aren’t the ones that cause you to go immediately to Facebook Jail. So before you start blaming “snowflakes” who don’t like a “good joke” know that an algorithm is at play. We’ve discussed keywords before in a previous post. Google Ads work on them. Facebook’s Bot has a preprogrammed list of “no no” words or sentences. This is a closely guarded secret. But people’s past experiences and leaks have thrown some light on the subject.
Things that land you in Facebook Jail. . .
Here is a small keyword list of things that people have been put in Facebook Jail when commenting or posting:
- Men/Women are. . . will trigger a ban regardless of the term following. Do not describe men or women as “anything”
- White or the word “Trash” combined with color descriptions
- Dumb (Sexual orientation) Do not add “gay” “lesbian” “trans” to any post with a derogatory adjective. In fact any use of LGBTQ posts are grounds to get a warning if put in a false light. Problem with this is that gays themselves are being banned for describing their own gay friends as “dumb”. Also “Gay men/women are. . . “
- Boys/Girls. . . (derogatory adjective)
- Evil (Christians/Muslims/Hindus, or any religious organisation)
- Use of the word “Crazy” (Goes against people with mental disorders) Even if describing your friend jokingly as “Crazy”)
- Anything with “Covid-19” may spark a warning and flag for “fake news” or the use of the word “Hydroxychloroquine.”
- the use of the word “Nazi” especially in the context of photos of Nazis and other World War II posts. Mentioning “Hitler” will also cause a problem.
- Calling someone a “racist”, is a 50/50 split. You can be banned for the context of the use of the term. But the bot is indiscriminate.
- and of course. No photos of nipples. But only female ones.
This list is in no way exhaustive. If you want to read more about Facebook Jail policies then go to this WSJ article (paywall). The Guardian UK also has a good article here. Also some of the terms gleaned come from user feedback here. Only keep in mind that the bot doesn’t understand human speech and nuances. Unfortunately, the pressure on Facebook is on. Tasked with removal of hate speech and fake news over the years has created a monster. Facebook outsourced its community management and it has failed spectacularly.
“Everything is about context. And the Facebook bot lacks that. It can scan for keywords but it cannot understand the context for what is being said. For example, an innocuous comment like “That man is a real terrorist” Triggers the bot “Man” (Gender specific) “Terrorist” (Hate Speech) or (Extremism). Apparently saying “Men/Women are. . .” triggers an automatic ban.”
– Words that will get you put in Facebook Jail
More Reasons to Be Thrown in Facebook Jail
Taken from https://www.onehourprofessor.com/facebook-jail/
There are many reasons why you might be thrown into Facebook jail and be given a (hopefully) temporary time out. Unfortunately, it’s possible to find yourself in there for breaking Facebook rules unintentionally.
Here are some of the most common reasons why people end up in Facebook jail:
1. Posting to Quickly: Posting too quickly on your Facebook page is among the most common reasons for people getting thrown in Facebook jail. You can also get flagged when you post the same information too fast. The simple solution to help you avoid getting blocked for this reason is to have a consistent schedule for posting, and always leave some time between posts.
2. Sending Too Many Friend Requests in One Day: When you send too many friend requests from a personal profile, Facebook views this as a bad thing, especially if you don’t know the people. When such behavior is detected, the platform will likely block your account. The same goes for joining Facebook groups too fast.
3. Posting Inappropriate Content: Posting sexually suggestive content, or nudity on Facebook is prohibited and violates their community standards. Even though it may make you unable to post pretty funny memes, doing so will result in your account being disabled, either temporarily or permanently. You should also avoid posting self-harm content, hate speech, or credible threats to groups or individuals.
4. Too Much Tagging: If you always reply with tagging all the time, this is another reason why you might find your account blocked.
5. Using Spam Images or Videos: If Facebook (or Google) has marked certain images or videos as spam, and you use them in your posts and are thought to be spamming others, this can land you in Facebook jail. Luckily, this is easily avoided by creating original content for your posts.
6. Logging in with Different Accounts: If you log into Facebook at the same time using different accounts, even a business page, this can trigger a block on your account. You should only use one account on one device and use a different device if you need to have two accounts open at the same time. The solution can be a VPN. VeePN features include hiding IP addresses, unblock any web site, unblocking games, and much more. When managing different accounts, this will be the best solution in order not to get in Facebook jail.
7. Being Spammy: If you act “spammy” on Facebook by adding people you don’t know, using a business name for your personal account, and so on, you are likely to get banned. So don’t contact people through the messaging area with unwanted requests or content. Also, don’t add spammy links, don’t send bulk messages, and don’t excessively post images and links to people’s timelines, and don’t continually post identical content to different groups or places.
8. Using Automated Software: Something else Facebook frowns upon is the use of automated software on the platform. If you are liking or commenting on posts at a very fast-pace, Facebook will likely block your account. So make sure that you always control the speed with which you perform these activities.
9. Using Fake or Imposter Accounts: If someone reports that your account is fake or impersonating someone else’s account, Facebook won’t hesitate in blocking it permanently.
10. Fraud with Payments Through Facebook: Suspicious payments are among the recently emerging reasons for bans on Facebook. If you make a payment through a fraudulent card, the payment will be reversed, and your account will be instantly banned.
If you ever find your Facebook account blocked for misconduct, you can rest assured you violated at least one of the issues mentioned above.
Facebook has continually requested you read the Community Standards. Though they are extensive they are still very vague. Also the issue is the bot cannot understand the nuances of human emotion and intent. In your mind you may be making a joke, but before you know it you are in Jail. There is also no adequate way to appeal.in the real world you have the option to appeal decisions. Facebook doesn’t give you that right. You should keep in mind that Facebook has not publicly announced how many infractions will cause a deletion and permanent ban of your profile. The third or even tenth infraction could lead to a ban. There is no way to know. These are things to keep in mind.
What if I already got put in Facebook Jail or Facebook suspends my advertising account?
Unfortunately there is not much you can do. You have to wait it out. I’ve created a second profile (no easy task these days) and added them to my pages and Business Manager. This is like having your own employee who has access at the admin level. Be very careful. An unsecured profile can render your pages and business manager unusable. A third party can hack your account and the results can be worse than a Facebook ban. This will at least give you the opportunity to post and schedule content.
There is no magic way to unban yourself. You cannot find a guy on Fiverr to unban you. There is no hack or workaround that I have found to do this. Clicking “disagree” won’t do much, in fact it may lead to further bans. Do not pay someone to unban you. You will be wasting your money. Also did you know that Facebook can also ban you for posts you posted years ago? Or even comments you made years ago? Yep, so unless you remember every single comment you made on every single post in the 20 years Facebook’s been around, then you may be in trouble.
On a side note, if you are running badly written and spammy ad campaigns you can be banned. This has happened many times. In fact it has happened to legit businesses more and more of late. Facebook’s bot sometimes sees it as being spammy for the same reason it’s banning you for “hate speech”. Write and produce your ads well, and you reduce the risk of being banned.
Being banned is not the end of the world. But it is a nuisance and a bother. There is no remedy for it unless Facebook finds another way to manage the community.
What I learned from my 7 days in Facebook Jail
“Artist Sunny Chapman, who has received bans, said: ‘What I’m learning about Facebook is not to talk on Facebook.’”
– Secret document reveals sentences that are banned on Facebook
Apart from having a nice little break from the platform. Something we should all do from time to time. Switch off the phone and do something else. The data collection, privacy issues and now militant thought policing has raised one too many red flags. It’s time to consider using Facebook for ads and nothing else. In the short term I am looking for personal alternatives. In the long term, Facebook isn’t going away, but I foresee its reduction in quality in the next five to ten years. People once thought MySpace was forever. Now it’s clear Facebook may not be forever either. Maybe that’s a good thing. I have written about Facebook Ad building here and why Google ads are a better alternative. But for me my exit from Facebook is starting.
What’s also a little damning is that all of us are “paying customers.” I run ads that pay Facebook money. I also click ads that’s served to me on Facebook and so that makes me the product. My rights as a consumer are in a bit of a question. This is another discussion for another time though.
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You can also be banned for mentioning nationalities or ethnicities. So “All French People” or “All Indian people…” will get you a ban.
I used to run a meme page some years ago on the platform. the last ban I picked up was for a post I posted in 2015. The page was shut down in 2018 for not conforming to “Community Standards.”
Thanks! I didn’t know this. Always good to know, But then this is Facebook. They keep moving the goal post, Like I said the Standards have been criticised for being vague and confusing. And as mention somewhere else: Throwing this onto a bot who doesn’t understand nuance and human behaviour will cause issues.
I remember this happening. I got a warning on Instagram for posting “traitor” under a picture, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to screenshot it.
you would call that being threatened with “Insta Jail” lol. Thats funny. That’s also a Facebook Jailable offence lol.
I got a 30 day ban for posting a pie recipe yesterday. Appealed it but was immediately told that my appeal was unsuccessful. So the appeal system is even automated and redundant. I have served 8 other bans this year for other stupid reasons.
.
I find it ridiculous, the stuff it takes issue with.
Me and a bestie were having a good laugh in picture comments before a night out.
They were deliberating whether their clothes fit properly.
I laughed and posted, “Not with that ass of yours” followed by three laughter emojis, which were immediately reciprocated and then the evening soured a bit because I was given a 30 day ban almost immediately.
You cannot even have fun with friends. That friend has been on my friends list for 14 years. One of my oldest friends and i cannot engage in banter or jokes with her on Facebook.
Facebook is fast losing its appeal because I am being forced to behave false on there.
By no means am I prejudiced or go out of my way to upset anybody but I’m not 2 dimensional either.
I like to have fun and share laughter with friends old and new.
It seems Facebook is turning into a robotic site that encourages false behaviours and personas through use of its ban function.
As a platform its removing the human element from it. It’s no longer fun to me.
Mark Zuckerberg has well and truly ruined not just his home town but social media now.
He is such a repugnant and abhorrent individual. No wonder he even chairs Facebook meetings on his own behind thick plexiglass.
He probably knows how disliked he is.
I hear you. Its worse when Facebook wasn’t really designed in the beginning to manage businesses. Now that Business and personal pages are mixing, you can really endanger your livelihood, when you innocently do something to piss off the bot.
Business and pleasure should never come together on social media.
I have no reference to my work nor do I discuss it on Facebook.
Fuck the bot. I don’t even use automated checkouts at supermarkets.
I prefer the human element.
Something that foul odorous beings like Mark Zuckerberg is trying to take away from the world.
Jailed for thirty days on 10th September and with no reason given. So I’ve no idea what I’m supposed to have done. Crazy.
Thanks for the comment. And herein lies the problem. In the real world you have to be told what was done wrong and the ability to appeal to a higher authority. Unfortunately when you have an imperfect system and leaving it up “to the ai” both those ideals get thrown out the window. As I always say, when you play in someone else sandbox you have to play by their rules.
A guy verbally attacked me for no reason on facebook and I defended myself. They guy kept going so I decided to report once of his comments because it was pretty bad. In turn facebook had agreed that it was out of line…. except they also flagged my comment where I was defending myself. My comment have 1 word in it that they disagreed with and that was the word “idiot”. While the man called me every name in the book. I appealed it but still got flagged. If I make another “mistake” I’m banned for a while. This isn’t the first time I got flagged for nothing. I once got flagged for showing a video of my son walking for the first time, but my TV was on and it got copywrite strike because of the music on a AD. Facebook makes it hard to enjoy its site.
Thanks for the comment. Yes there’s stuff that people get away with and you’re left to wonder “How?!” The copyrighting strike is a pain. I have a video of me showing how to design something and the radio was on in the background. Every so often I would get a “This video has been muted cause of copyright.” and then “The copyright holder has released the hold on this video, it is no longer muted.” Kept happening for years until I got fed up and deleted the video. Its too much. If you decide to leave Facebook I’d love to know which service you do decide to go to, if any.
I’m about to get off, yet another, Facebook ban for calling someone “pony boy”. Apparently, Facebook has never seen or read “The Outsiders” and I got banned for “bullying”. Not sure what other alternatives I’m willing to use to Facebook, but I’m getting really tired of their idiotic bans and when I ask for a review, I don’t get one. Fuck Zuck and their merry band of censoring algorithm snowflakes (mind you, this is the first time that I’ve used the term “snowflake” to describe anyone or anything, but it seemed fitting).
Facebook jail for calling someone an insect
You can also be banned for sharing an image that you got from Facebook. And it could happen completely out of the blue weeks, months or years after you reposted the very content you GOT from FB to begin with. They’re inconsistent. Unapproachable, and uncommunicative.
I have been banned for a 3rd time in 2 weeks each more stupid than the last! I am a VERY VERY SARCASTIC person Its like I speak 2 languages English and Sarcasm and this friggin bot it just an ahole! I got nabbed for saying a guy was right to “burn it down” when a huge spider was making a web outside his front door now in the video the guy even made a mock phone with his fingers spoke into them and said hello 911 there bout to be a fire! Another one I called a Dr. Phil guest a dumb b***h because she “identified” as white–she was black (nothing wrong with being black) she was just being stupid there is no changing ethnicity even said that in the post boom nabbed! Last and most recent one I commented on a video these thugs were trying to rob an armored truck…ARMORED TRUCK! Yes there were gunshots, the driver wasnt having any of it so he shifted into gear and rammed them! Well people were like oh no but what about the men who he ran over I said i’d do the same thing hit his car and nope it TF out of there…pinched again! “inciting violence”, “hate speech”, “inciting violence”, Now its just becoming a friggin joke! Currently serving a 5 day sentence and a 28 day sentence from the groups. FB is turning into a bunch of fascist nazis!
Lofo
September 1, 2022 at 1:31 am
No it’s completely liberal. I was banned for telling a guy off for saying animals in adoption centers were better off being euthanized It was completely OKAY for him to say what he said. Not for me. I’m over the shit Zuckerberg deals out
And my response is awaiting their moderation?????
I simply quit using FB. I thank them for saving from social media addiction.
Yes. I think its important for one’s mental health to jump off of Social Media. Thanks for the comment.
Hi everyone
Who wants to be part of a new book ? HAVE YOU BEEN BURNED BY FACEBOOK? Been Banned, restricted, put in FB jail over innocent harmless posts? Or given a warning over something stupid?
Author Sudi (Rick) Karatas is writing a book about people who have been put in Facebook jail, sometimes over totally ridiculous and innocent posts. Working title FORK FACEBOOK and the algorithm it rode in on ( Jailbird stories)
If you would like to be considered to have your story in the book, PM me your email or email me at sudirick@aol.com and I will send you Questionnaire/form to fill out.
searching for the most ridiculous and funniest “crimes.” Feel free to share with others who might like to share their ex con stories
It seems like its getting worse. I was recently restricted for 2 days to post and for 5 days to posts on any group,but I have no idea why. And today im restricted from liking for 1 hour.. frustrating. Trying to.find another platform is time consuming..