Facebook removes various types of content that violates its Community Standards or terms of service. When content is removed, you may see a notification from Facebook explaining why the content was taken down. However, you may not always receive an explanation when your content is removed. So how can you find out what Facebook has removed from your account or Page?
Check your Activity Log
The easiest way to see if any of your Facebook content has been removed is to check your Activity Log. This is a log of all your activity on Facebook, including posts, photos, videos, comments, likes, etc. To view your log:
- Go to your profile and click on the three-line menu in the top right
- Select “Activity Log” from the dropdown menu
- Under the “Your Posts” filter, look for any posts with “Removed” listed next to them
This will show you any posts, photos, videos or comments that have been taken down by Facebook. Select the removed content to see more details, including when it was removed and why.
Review email notifications from Facebook
When your content gets removed, Facebook may send you an email notification explaining the reason for the removal. Check your email inbox for any messages from Facebook’s “Support Team” or “Automated messages from Facebook.”
Some common reasons Facebook sends removal notifications:
- Copyright violation
- Graphic violence
- Hate speech
- Nudity/sexual content
- Fake accounts/misrepresentation
- Scams
If you received an email from Facebook about removed content, it will specify which content was taken down and why it went against their standards. This helps you identify exactly what Facebook deleted from your account.
Check notifications within Facebook
In addition to email, Facebook may also send you in-app notifications when your content gets removed. To find notifications:
- Click on the bell icon in the top right of Facebook
- Select “Notifications” to view your latest notices
- Look for any notifications about posts being removed and select them to see details
Sometimes the notification will include a link to the removed content, but in most cases the content will no longer be visible. Still, the notification provides insight into why Facebook took action against your post, photo, video, etc.
Review Page moderation tools
If you manage a Facebook Page, you can view content that has been removed through the Page’s moderation tools. To access:
- Go to your Facebook Page
- Click “Settings” in the bottom left
- Select “Page Quality” > “Remove posts” in the left menu
- Review any posts that have been taken down
This tool shows you content removed from your Page for quality reasons, but doesn’t cover takedowns related to legal issues like copyright or illegal content.
Check removal information on Facebook Business Suite
Facebook Business Suite provides data and insights about content removed from Facebook Pages. To see this information:
- Go to Business Suite and open your Page
- Select “Content Management” on the left
- Click on “Content Removed”
This shows posts, photos, videos and comments that have been taken down from your Page. It provides details like when the content was removed and what policy it violated.
Use the Content Removal Dashboard
Facebook offers a Content Removal Dashboard for Pages that have experienced high volumes of content removal. This dashboard shows:
- Number of pieces of content removed
- Primary reason for removals
- Time period when the removals occurred
- Option to download a removal report
If your Page has faced repeated content takedowns, you may gain access to this dashboard through Facebook Business Suite.
Check removal transparency reports
Facebook publishes regular transparency reports with data on content removals from the platform. These reports include information like:
- Amount of spam, explicit content, bullying, hate speech, etc removed
- Number of content removal requests from governments
- Removal reasons broken down by country
- Types of content actioned most frequently
Reviewing Facebook’s transparency reports provides a broader view of its content moderation policies and actions. But the reports do not provide data on removals from specific accounts or Pages.
Use the Download Your Information tool
You can use Facebook’s Download Your Information tool to retrieve an archive of your account data and activity logs. This includes:
- Timeline posts, photos, videos, comments
- Messages
- Ads
- Following/followers
- Posts you’re tagged in
- Search history
Any content that has been removed by Facebook will NOT be included in your downloaded archive. By cross-referencing your archive with your recollections of posting activity, you may be able to identify some content that has been taken down.
Search for old links
If you previously shared links to specific Facebook posts, photos or videos, try accessing those old links. If you get an error saying the content is unavailable, that indicates the content was likely removed.
You can also search for links or screenshots you may have shared on other platforms like Twitter. If the Facebook content appears inaccessible, it was probably taken down.
Check Page admin roles
If other admins have access to your Facebook Page, it’s possible they removed content without your knowledge. To see the Page’s current admin roles:
- Go to your Page and click “Settings”
- Select “Page Roles” in the left menu
- View the list of editors, moderators, advertisers, etc
Compare this to who had admin access in the past. Any missing admins may have been involved in undisclosed content removals.
Ask Facebook for more information
If you notice content has been removed but you haven’t received any explanation from Facebook, you can ask them directly for more information. Contact Facebook through:
- The “Report a Problem” link you see when trying to view removed content
- The Support Inbox in Facebook Business Suite
- Facebook’s Help Center contact form
Explain what content seems to be missing from your account or Page and politely request details on when and why it was taken down. Facebook may provide removal details if you ask through the proper channels.
Use third-party social media monitoring tools
Social media monitoring platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer and Sprout Social have features that alert you when your Facebook content has been removed. Connecting these tools to your accounts generates reports when removals occur.
These platforms depend on Facebook’s API to collect data, so they may not catch 100% of content takedowns. But they provide an added layer of monitoring beyond Facebook’s own notifications.
Consult marketing agencies or specialized tools
There are Facebook marketing agencies and software companies that offer specialized auditing services to detect removed content. These include tools like:
- SocialInsider
- Quintly
- Social Animal
- Ninjalitics
- SocialReport
For a fee, these companies can perform an in-depth scan and comparison of your Facebook history and content. Their sophisticated tools may identify posts, images, videos or comments deleted without any notification from Facebook.
Conclusion
Figuring out what Facebook content was removed from your account or Page can require some detective work. Pay attention to Facebook’s own alerts, check your activity logs, and leverage third-party monitoring tools where possible. If you’re strategic in monitoring your Facebook presence, you can better understand how its content policies are impacting your profile and page.