Facebook provides users with the ability to report various problems and issues on the platform, from offensive or abusive content to bugs and technical issues. But does the report feature actually work and help resolve these problems? Here we’ll explore how Facebook’s reporting system functions, look at some data on its effectiveness, and provide tips for successfully reporting issues on Facebook.
How does reporting a problem on Facebook work?
When you report a piece of content or an issue on Facebook, it goes through the following process:
- You select the “Report” option on the content, which opens a reporting form.
- You choose a category for your report – such as nudity, hate speech, harassment, etc. You can provide additional details in a text box.
- The report goes to Facebook’s Community Operations team, which reviews it based on Facebook’s Community Standards.
- If the content violates Facebook’s rules, it will be removed. If not, the report may still be used to improve Facebook’s detection systems.
- For extremely egregious violations, accounts may be disabled. But in most cases, Facebook focuses on removing violating content while keeping accounts active.
- You will get a notification informing you whether action was taken on your report.
This process allows users to flag potentially problematic content for Facebook to assess based on its guidelines. Facebook states that no account gets penalized simply for being reported – the content itself is reviewed.
How many reports does Facebook receive?
Facebook receives an enormous number of reports from users on a daily basis. Here are some stats on how many reports Facebook receives and acts on:
- In Q1 2022, users submitted 54.2 million reports of bullying and harassment content.
- In that same period, users submitted 20.7 million reports of hate speech content.
- Facebook says it took action on 4.4 million pieces of bullying/harassment content and 5.7 million pieces of hate speech content during Q1 2022.
- From July to September 2022, Facebook took action on 31.8 million pieces of violent and graphic content and 25 million pieces of child nudity and sexual exploitation content.
So on any given day, Facebook is receiving millions of reports from users about content that may violate its rules. The company has deployed a mix of artificial intelligence systems and human reviewers to assess these reports at scale.
What percentage of reports lead to content removal?
Facebook does not provide exact data on what percentage of reports lead to content removal or account disablement. However, based on its community standards enforcement reports, we can deduce that Facebook removes content in response to a minority of user reports:
| Category | User Reports in Q1 2022 | Enforcement Actions in Q1 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Bullying and Harassment | 54.2 million | 4.4 million |
| Hate Speech | 20.7 million | 5.7 million |
| Violent and Graphic Content | Not reported | 31.8 million |
| Child Nudity and Sexual Exploitation | Not reported | 25 million |
Based on this data, it appears Facebook takes enforcement action on less than 10% of user reports in some categories like bullying and harassment. For hate speech, the number is slightly higher at around 25%.
Facebook is likely optimizing to remove as much violating content as possible while minimizing unnecessary removal of benign content. The company says context matters, and content that may seem problematic at first glance may not actually violate standards.
Why doesn’t Facebook remove content I report?
There are a few key reasons why Facebook may not remove content you report:
It doesn’t violate Facebook’s rules
Facebook has detailed Community Standards that outline what is and isn’t allowed on the platform. Just because you find something offensive or problematic does not necessarily mean it violates Facebook’s policies. Content is assessed on an individual basis, within context.
Reviewers made an error
Facebook’s human content reviewers have to make extremely nuanced judgments on millions of pieces of reported content every day. Sometimes they may misapply Facebook’s policies or fail to pick up on nuances. Facebook acknowledges that reviewers occasionally make mistakes, and is working to improve their training and accuracy.
It’s an edge case
In some cases, the content you reported may fall into gray areas where Facebook’s policies lack clarity. Different reviewers can come to different determinations on these edge cases. Lack of context can also make it difficult for Facebook to take action.
Action was taken, but not on the whole post/account
Facebook has the ability to disable or apply warnings to individual pieces of content like posts, photos or videos. So while it may not remove everything you report, it may take a more surgical approach to addressing policy violations.
How can you improve your chances of getting content removed?
While Facebook removes a relatively small portion of reported content, you can optimize your reports to improve your chances of getting action taken:
- Clearly explain in your report text how the content violates Facebook’s standards and quote the relevant parts.
- Provide additional context on why the content is problematic – don’t assume violations are self-evident.
- Check that you are reporting the content under the appropriate category for the violation type.
- Follow up if the content remains and you believe it clearly violates Facebook’s policies.
However, there is no guarantee that Facebook will remove content simply because you report it multiple times. The company emphasizes the importance of assessing content objectively against its defined standards.
What does Facebook say about effectiveness of reporting?
In its transparency reports, Facebook emphasizes that the prevalence of user reports is not necessarily an accurate reflection of how much violating content is on the platform. Just because something gets reported often does not prove it violates policies. Facebook notes that people often report content they simply dislike or find offensive, which does not mean it has to be removed under Facebook’s rules.
Facebook also points out that its proactive detection of content violations has improved considerably due to AI advances. This allows it to find and remove problematic content even if users don’t report it. So the number of reports and actions taken does not tell the whole story of enforcement effectiveness.
At the same time, Facebook acknowledges that its reporting systems are not perfect. The company is actively working to expand and refine its detection abilities to identify and act on harmful content even before users can report it.
Pros and cons of Facebook’s reporting system
Here are some key pros and cons of Facebook’s approach to user reporting:
Pros:
- Allows users to flag concerning content for review
- Detailed reporting categories to capture different issues
- Quick response time with notifications on actions taken
- Helps train AI systems to better detect violations
Cons:
- Only small portion of reports lead to enforcement
- Errors and inconsistencies in determinations
- Limited transparency into decision-making process
- Burdens users with reporting harmful content they encounter
Conclusion
Facebook’s user reporting system provides a crucial mechanism for flagging concerning content for review against the platform’s Community Standards. While Facebook removes only a small portion of reported content, the reports help train AI systems and human reviewers to identify violations.
There are valid critiques that Facebook does not take action on enough harmful content that gets reported. But the company emphasizes that removal rate alone does not determine effectiveness, as many reports do not actually represent policy violations. There are also good faith debates around where Facebook should set the thresholds for assessing speech issues like hate and harassment.
Overall, the reporting system is a key component of Facebook’s enforcement efforts, though it alone is likely insufficient. Continued improvement of proactive detection and moderation practices is needed to better address harmful content at scale across a user base of billions. No system will be perfect, but Facebook must continue striving for progress.