Facebook Groups allow administrators and moderators to manage membership by adding or removing people. If someone is blocked from a Facebook Group, they will not receive a notification that they have been blocked. The blocked person will simply no longer be able to see or interact with the group.
Does blocking prevent the person from seeing the group?
Yes, when someone is blocked from a Facebook Group, they can no longer see any of the content posted in that group. The group will no longer show up in their list of groups or notifications.
From the blocked person’s perspective, it will seem like the group no longer exists or that they were removed from it. They will not get any indication that they were specifically blocked by the admin or moderator.
Can the blocked person tell they were blocked?
No, when an admin or moderator blocks someone from a Facebook Group, that person does not receive any notification that they have been blocked.
There is no message, email, or indicator to the blocked person that would let them know they have been blocked from the group. As far as they can tell, the group has either been deleted or they were removed from it.
The only way the blocked person would know they have been blocked specifically is if another group member who can still see the group tells them they have been blocked. But Facebook itself does not send any notice.
What happens when a blocked person tries to access the group?
If someone who has been blocked from a Facebook Group tries to access it, they will simply be unable to see or find the group anymore.
When they visit the URL for the group page, it will act as if the group does not exist. They will get an error message saying:
“This content isn’t available right now. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”
If they try searching for the group, it will not show up in any searches or their list of joined groups. The group has essentially been made invisible to the blocked person.
Can a blocked person rejoin a group?
No, a blocked person cannot rejoin a Facebook Group that they have been blocked from. Even if the group has open membership, the blocked person will not be able to locate the group in order to request to join.
For a blocked person to regain access to the group, the admin or moderator who blocked them would have to specifically unblock them. Without being unblocked, the blocked user has no way to find or request access to the group again.
Who can see that someone was blocked?
The only people who can see that someone was blocked from a Facebook Group are the group admin(s) and moderator(s) who have access to the membership list and settings.
Regular group members will not know if someone has been blocked. The posts and comments made by the blocked member will still be visible in the group to anyone who could already see them.
But admins and moderators will see that the blocked member’s name no longer appears in the member list. And if they try to add them back, they will see the option to “Unblock” that person.
What happens to existing posts/comments from a blocked member?
When someone is blocked from a Facebook Group, their existing posts and comments do not get automatically deleted or hidden.
Any posts or discussions started by that member will still be visible to the rest of the group’s members. However, the blocked member’s name and profile picture will no longer be attached to their previous posts in the group.
The posts will show the member name as “Facebook User” and will not have a profile picture. But the text of the posts and comments remains visible so ongoing conversations are not disrupted.
Can an admin delete a blocked member’s posts?
Yes, while blocking a member does not automatically remove their past posts and comments, a group admin or moderator can choose to manually delete any content contributed by that member.
The admin can delete individual posts or comments as needed to remove any traces of the blocked member from the group. However, this would need to be done manually for each post the admin wants permanently deleted.
Any posts or discussions started by the blocked member would also show the “Facebook User” name instead of the member’s actual name once deleted. The name on past posts cannot be restored even if the member is later unblocked.
What happens if a blocked member tries to comment?
If someone who has been blocked from a Facebook Group attempts to make a new post or comment in that group, it will fail silently without notification.
The blocked member will be able to type out a post or comment as normal. However, when they hit “enter” or click “post”, their comment will not actually get added to the group.
They will not receive any error message informing them they are blocked or that their comment did not post. The blocked member will not get any feedback that their post failed, it will simply be ignored.
From their point of view, it will appear their comment posted normally, even though group members will not actually see anything from the blocked member.
Can an admin post as if they are the blocked member?
Facebook Group administrators and moderators have the ability to post or comment in the group under the name of any member. This includes blocked members.
An admin can access the member list, select a blocked member’s name, and then post as if they are that person. The post will show up listing the blocked member as the author.
This could allow an admin to impersonate a blocked member or make fake posts using their identity. However, there is usually no legitimate reason an admin would need to do this.
Posting as a blocked member also will not notify the member or give them access to the group again in any way. The admin is simply borrowing their identity to make a point or prank the group.
Can a blocked person see who else is in the group?
No, when someone is blocked from a Facebook Group, they have no visibility into who is in that group or any of the group membership details.
Even if the member list was public prior to the person being blocked, they will no longer be able to see or access the list of joined members. The entire group is made invisible and inaccessible.
The only members the blocked person would know are any they may have been connected with previously outside the group, such as Facebook friends already. But they have no way to know who has joined or interacted in the group since they were blocked.
Is there any way to appeal a block?
There is no formal appeals process if an admin has chosen to block someone from a Facebook Group. Since groups are member-controlled, the administrators have full discretion over who participates.
If the blocked member knows the admin, they can try reaching out over Facebook Messenger to request being unblocked from the group. But the admin is not obligated to respond or provide an explanation.
Banned members can report groups or posts within groups if they violate Facebook policies. But policy violations do not automatically overturn admin decisions to block an individual member. However, continued policy breaches could get the entire group shut down.
What happens when a group admin is blocked on Facebook?
If someone blocks a Facebook Group admin or moderator on Facebook overall, that does not automatically remove them from any groups where the person is an admin.
Blocking on Facebook prevents seeing someone’s posts, starting 1-on-1 chats, etc. But it does not affect group interactions and abilities. The two people can still participate in the same groups.
An admin who has been blocked by a group member can still moderate that group and remove the blocking member. Being blocked does not limit their admin capabilities or visibility.
But the blocked admin can’t interact 1-on-1 with that member via chat, comments, etc. Interactions are limited to only within group spaces where they are both members.
Can you block someone who is not in the group?
No, Facebook Group administrators can only block people who are already members of the group. There is no option to preemptively ban someone from joining a group.
If there is a concern about a specific person joining a group and causing issues, there are a couple options:
– Make the group private or hidden so only invited members can join
– Change the group membership approvals to require admin/moderator approval for new members
Once a troubling member does successfully join the group, admins can quickly block them before taking further disruptive actions. But non-members cannot be blocked in advance of joining a group.
What are some reasons to block someone from a group?
Here are some common reasons Facebook Group admins may choose to block someone:
– Harassment/bullying of group members
– Hate speech, threats, or inciting violence
– Sharing inappropriate or illegal content
– Spamming the group with repeat irrelevant posts
– Spreading false information or conspiracy theories
– Trolling, aggressive arguments, and drama
– Violating key group rules or topic guidelines
– Abusive language and profanity in posts/comments
– Posting dangerous advice or misinformation
– Bot accounts spamming the group
Group admins have discretion to block members for any reason that violates group policies or threatens the safety and experience of other members. Specific reasons depend on each group’s focus and ground rules.
| Reason | Example |
|---|---|
| Harassment/bullying | Making hostile, demeaning, or threatening comments directed at other members |
| Hate speech | Using severely offensive racist, sexist, anti-LGBTQ+ slurs |
| Sharing inappropriate content | Posting pornography, graphic violence, illegal content |
| Spamming | Making excessive posts to promote products, videos, etc |
| Spreading false information | Promoting conspiracy theories, hoaxes, anti-science claims |
| Trolling | Making deliberately inflammatory comments to provoke members |
| Violating group rules | Ignoring clearly stated rules against certain types of content |
| Abusive language | Excessive swearing, insults, derogatory language |
| Dangerous advice | Suggesting unsafe practices others may follow |
| Bot accounts | Accounts spamming scams/ads that appear automated |
Best practices for blocking group members
Here are some recommended best practices for Facebook Group admins when needing to block members:
– Review group rules and warn members before blocking when possible
– Block quickly if severe violations like harassment or threats occur
– Block silently; don’t engage the blocked member further
– Block bot/spam accounts immediately without warning
– Remove any rule breaking posts/comments if needed
– Monitor if blocked member tries rejoining with a new account
– Designate trusted moderators to help with blocking decisions
– Enact group membership approvals if blocks become frequent
– Communicate policies clearly to avoid misunderstandings
Following clear guidelines and addressing issues swiftly can limit the need for blocks. But removing disruptive members is an essential group management tool when necessary.
Conclusion
In summary, when a Facebook Group admin blocks someone, that member is removed from the group silently without notification. They can no longer find or access the group in any way.
Existing posts from a blocked member will remain visible unless manually deleted by a mod. The blocked member also cannot determine they were blocked or see any group activity after the fact.
Blocking provides Facebook Group admins an effective way to handle problematic members and maintain a safe, positive environment. It can be done discreetly as needed without disrupting the rest of the group.