Facebook groups can be a great way to connect with people who share your interests or beliefs. However, without some basic rules and guidelines, groups can easily become chaotic or even hostile environments. As a group admin or member, it’s important to follow Facebook’s rules as well as set some norms to keep your group on track.
Follow Facebook’s Terms of Service
First and foremost, all Facebook groups need to abide by Facebook’s Terms of Service and Community Standards. These policies prohibit hate speech, bullying, harassment, and other toxic behavior. They also restrict the sale of regulated goods, the coordination of criminal activity, and more. Reviewing Facebook’s rules should be the starting point for any new group.
Prohibited Content
Specifically, Facebook does not allow posts or comments that:
- Threaten harm against an individual or group
- Attack someone based on their protected characteristics like race, gender, or religion
- Are sexually harassing or predatory in nature
- Contain nudity or graphic violence
- Spread misinformation that could contribute to imminent physical harm
Posts containing this type of content can be removed, and repeat violations can get a user banned from Facebook altogether.
Regulated Goods
In addition, Facebook restricts the exchange of certain regulated goods and services on its platform. Group admins should not allow their groups to be used for:
- Sell or trade prescription drugs, marijuana, firearms, ammunition, tobacco, alcohol, pets/live animals
- Sell or trade products that make health claims that are not backed by regulatory agencies
- Arrange adoptive services, surrogacy agreements, or the exchange of human remains/fluids
Trying to facilitate these types of transactions can result in groups being shut down without warning.
Establish Group Rules
While adhering to Facebook’s baseline standards, group admins should also consider implementing their own guidelines tailored to their community. Some common rules for healthy Facebook groups include:
Requiring Kindness and Respect
The overall tone of a group often comes down to how members interact with each other. Requiring politeness, compassion, and respect can go a long way in preventing flames and fights.
Restricting Self-Promotion
Too many people joining just to hawk products and services is annoying. Limit self-promotion to certain days or a dedicated thread.
Keeping Discussions On Topic
Tangents happen, but gently steering conversations back to the core focus results in more meaningful exchanges.
Disallowing Misinformation
Bad information can spread rapidly in closed spaces. Proactively prohibiting demonstrably false content maintains the group’s accuracy.
Banning Partisan Politics or Religion
Controversial topics like politics and religion often divide groups. Excluding them can help keep things harmonious.
Enforce Rules Fairly
Of course, establishing group rules is only half the battle. They must also be enforced consistently, transparently, and fairly. Here are some tips for effective moderation:
- Warn first-time rule breakers before deleting posts or comments
- Ban repeat offenders through timed suspensions or permanent removal
- Avoid playing favorites or making exceptions for some members
- Communicate discipline privately to maintain dignity
- Explain rationale openly when publicly calling out poor behavior
- Give cooling off periods to deescalate conflicts before taking action
- Seek second opinions from other admins when unsure
Setting expectations for conduct is meaningless without accountability. Yet heavy-handed bans and deletions should also be avoided. Overall, aim for moderation that is measured, impartial, and thoughtful.
Add Group Admins
Moderating a large, active Facebook group is extremely difficult alone. Appointing some reliable members as additional admins or moderators shares the workload. Coordinate with new admins to:
- Divide up monitoring different discussion threads
- Schedule coverage during peak activity periods
- Rotate dealing with reports of rule violations
- Consult on difficult moderation decisions
- Temporarily delegate duties when unable to manage
More moderators means quicker response times, less missed violations, and reduced chances of personal bias. Just be sure all admins are aligned on the group’s rules and how to enforce them.
Use Comment Filters
| Filter Word | Blocked Comment |
|---|---|
| Dummies | Only dummies would believe that. |
| Stupid | That’s a stupid idea. |
| Idiot | You’re an idiot. |
Certain words and phrases frequently accompany uncivil remarks. Configuring filters to automatically hide comments containing these terms can proactively curb toxicity.
For example, the filter table above shows blocks on common insults. Group admins should carefully test filters before enabling them to ensure useful discourse is not also inadvertently blocked.
Profanity Filters
Bad language often coincides with bad behavior. Blanket restrictions on profanity can help raise the level of discussion.
Spam Filters
Repetitive comments with similar text are usually spam. Automatically hiding them protects groups.
Link Blocking
Links are common vectors for scams, viruses, and disreputable websites. Stripping links as a precaution can prevent issues.
Conclusion
With a bit of forethought and some ongoing care, Facebook groups can thrive as substantive communities centered around meaningul interests. Admins play a crucial role in shaping the tone and quality of discussions by:
- Following Facebook’s rules and restrictions
- Crafting guidelines specific to their groups
- Moderating content and conduct impartially
- Collaborating with other admins
- Configuring filters to suppress noise
Setting expectations, responding consistently, and focusing on thoughtful exchange keeps groups vibrant, engaged, and continually relevant to members over the long-term.