Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with billions of users worldwide posting status updates, photos, videos, and more on a daily basis. With so much user-generated content being shared, Facebook employs complex algorithms and content moderation teams to determine what content is allowed on the platform and what violates their community standards or terms of service.
Sometimes, Facebook will decline or take down a user’s post and not allow it to be visible to others in their network. When this happens, many users wonder – does Facebook notify you if your post is declined or removed? Here is a comprehensive overview of Facebook’s content moderation process and how they communicate with users about declined posts.
Facebook’s Content Moderation Process
Facebook relies on two primary methods for moderating content across its platform:
- Automated technology – Facebook uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithms to review billions of posts per day and flag content that may violate policies. These automated systems look for prohibited content in text, images, videos, comments, and more.
- Human review teams – Facebook employs thousands of human content moderators as an additional layer of review. Posts flagged by AI are sent to moderators to review and determine if they should be removed or kept on the platform.
Both automated and human reviews are used to determine if a post goes against Facebook’s Community Standards. These standards outline what types of content are and are not allowed on Facebook platforms.
Some of the major categories covered by the community standards include:
- Violence and criminal behavior
- Safety
- Objectionable content
- Integrity and authenticity
- Respecting intellectual property
- Content-related requests
If a post is found to violate one or more of the community standards, Facebook may remove or restrict the visibility of the post so it is no longer publicly viewable.
Notifications When a Post is Declined
When Facebook takes down a post, they have several methods of notifying the user who posted the problematic content:
- On-platform notifications – Facebook may send the user an in-app notification alerting them that content was removed and which policy it violated. This on-platform notification typically contains details explaining the decision.
- Email notifications – In some cases, especially for severe violations, Facebook will also send an email notifying the user of the content removal and reasons behind it.
- Page quality tab – Page owners can view all post removals and restrictions under the “Page Quality” tab of Page Settings. This displays content Facebook identified as problematic.
- Appeals process – Users can appeal Facebook’s decision through the appeals process. Any notifications sent about post removals will contain information to file an appeal.
However, Facebook does not always notify users when a post is declined or made less visible. Some instances where users may not receive a notice include:
- Shadowbanning – Facebook might restrict the reach of a post without completely removing it. Others can’t see it, but the original poster can.
- Throttling distribution – Facebook can limit how many people see a post in their News Feed without deleting it entirely.
- Removal of old posts – Posts made a long time ago that violate updated standards may be removed without warning.
Why Facebook Removes Content
Facebook aims to provide a safe, respectful platform by enforcing their Community Standards. Some of the primary reasons content may get removed include:
- Hate speech – Slurs, dehumanizing generalizations, and harmful stereotypes based on protected characteristics like race, gender, sexuality, etc.
- Violence and threats – Graphic content, statements of intent to commit violence, specific threats towards a person or place, or admissions to dangerous criminal behavior.
- Bullying and harassment – Cruel or insensitive content meant to intimidate, exclude, or silence another user.
- Terrorism and criminal behavior – Content promoting terrorist groups or acts, coordinating harm, buying/selling prohibited goods, or interfering with civic processes.
- Sexual content – Pornography, sexual solicitation, excessively revealing images, or sexual content involving minors.
- Spam and inauthentic behavior – Identical content posted repeatedly, coordinated inauthentic activity, and misleading claims likely to result in harm.
- Intellectual property violations – Content that infringes on copyrights, trademarks, patents, or other proprietary information and rights.
These categories provide a general overview of content Facebook works to keep off their platforms. The specifics of each policy are detailed in the Community Standards document.
How to Avoid Post Removals
You can reduce the likelihood of having your posts removed from Facebook by doing the following:
- Carefully review the Community Standards to understand what content is prohibited.
- Avoid hate speech, harassment, threats, bullying, pornography, spam, or intellectual property theft.
- Do not share content that violates laws or promotes dangerous or criminal behavior.
- Post images and videos only with permission from subjects depicted.
- Use discretion when posting about sensitive events and provide appropriate context.
- Appeal removals if you believe Facebook made a mistake – include context, explanations, and relevant information in the appeal.
While Facebook does allow most forms of personal expression, posts must fit within the platform’s content policies to remain visible. Exercising caution and sound judgment helps sustain a respectful environment on the social network.
What Happens When You Violate Facebook’s Policies
Here is an overview of the typical enforcement actions Facebook will take against accounts that repeatedly violate their rules:
| Number of Violations | Facebook’s Response |
|---|---|
| 1 Violation | Warning alerting you of the content removal |
| 2-3 Violations | 24 hour account suspension |
| 4-5 Violations | 3 day account suspension |
| 6-8 Violations | 7 day account suspension |
| 9+ Violations | Extended or permanent account suspension |
If violations are especially severe, Facebook can immediately suspend accounts without warning. They aim to be fair in enforcement by looking at context and a user’s history on the platform.
Can You Retrieve Removed Posts?
In most cases, posts removed from Facebook for violating policies are permanently deleted and cannot be retrieved or reposted. However, there are a few scenarios where you may be able to get a deleted post restored:
- If Facebook made a mistake in its decision, you can appeal the removal and may have the post reinstated.
- Deleted posts can temporarily exist in Facebook’s servers up to 90 days. If it was recently removed, you can request a review during this window.
- Posts incorrectly identified as spam may be restored within the first few days after being flagged.
- Friends who shared the post on their own Timeline may still have it visible to themselves – you could ask them to re-share it.
Outside of these options, removed content is typically gone for good. To avoid losing posts:
- Understand and follow Facebook’s rules.
- Delete violations immediately upon notification.
- Download backups of important posts you make.
Conclusion
Facebook employs a combination of automated technology and human moderators to review billions of posts per day and determine if they adhere to platform policies. When content gets removed for a Community Standards violation, Facebook aims to notify users through in-app alerts, email notifications, and the Page Quality tab.
However, users are not always informed when posts are shadowbanned, throttled, or removed after long periods of time. To reduce removals, carefully review Facebook’s guidelines, exercise good judgment, and appeal decisions if you believe they were made in error.
Continually violating policies can lead to warnings, suspensions, and permanent bans. While removed content is difficult to restore, you may be able to get posts reinstated by catching mistakes early in the appeals process. Understanding Facebook’s rules and enforcement procedures helps maintain access to their platforms.