Getting a notification from Facebook saying your post goes against their Community Standards can be confusing and concerning. Here are some quick answers about what it means and what to do:
Why Did I Get This Notification?
There are a few main reasons Facebook may flag a post as going against their standards:
- It contains hate speech, bullying, harassment, or threats
- It shows graphic violence or nudity
- It spreads misinformation or fake news
- It infringes on copyrights or trademarks
- It violates local laws or regulations
Facebook uses automated systems and human reviewers to monitor posts and determine if they violate policies. Sometimes the algorithms and reviewers make mistakes too.
What Happens When My Post is Flagged?
If your post goes against the standards, a few things may happen:
- Your post is removed from public view on Facebook
- Your account may be disabled or suspended temporarily
- You will get a notification explaining the violation
- You may get a warning prompt the next time you try to post something similar
The specific action depends on the severity and type of violation. For minor first-time offenses, Facebook will often just remove the post and send a warning.
How Do I Appeal or Fix This?
If you think Facebook made a mistake in flagging your post, you can appeal the decision. Here are some tips:
- Click the “Request Review” button in the notification message
- Explain clearly why you believe your post did not violate standards
- Provide context around the post and your intent with it
- Remain polite and constructive in your appeal
- Wait for a response from Facebook, which may take a few days
If the post did legitimately break Facebook’s rules, you will need to modify or remove it to have your account restored. Make sure you understand the standards and avoid posting similar inappropriate content going forward.
What Are Facebook’s Community Standards?
Facebook’s Community Standards outline what types of content are and are not allowed on their platform. Here are some key areas covered by the standards:
- Violence and Criminal Behavior: Prohibits threats, violence, bullying, criminal activity, dangerous groups/individuals, and more.
- Safety: Prohibits harassment, unwanted sexual advances, revealing personal information, and content that endangers children.
- Objectionable Content: Prohibits hate speech, graphic violence, adult nudity/sexual activity, and cruel/insensitive content.
- Integrity and Authenticity: Prohibits spam, misinformation, manipulated media, and inauthentic behavior.
- Respecting Intellectual Property: Prohibits copyright and trademark infringement.
The standards encompass a wide range of content to promote safety, trust, fairness, and compliance on the platform. They are constantly evolving to address new issues.
Common Reasons Posts Violate Standards
While Facebook’s standards cover a lot of ground, there are some types of content that get flagged more frequently than others:
- Hate speech directed at protected groups
- Graphic or sexually explicit content
- Nudity or sexual solicitation
- Harassing or bullying behavior
- Threats of violence against people or animals
- Spammy posts or repeat offences
- Misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines
- Scams or deceptive business practices
Understanding these common violations and being thoughtful about what you post can help avoid issues in the future.
Tips to Avoid Violations
Here are some tips to help stay within Facebook’s guidelines:
- Be respectful of others and avoid making harassing or dehumanizing remarks
- Don’t post revealing or sexually explicit photos/videos
- Cite credible sources and avoid spreading misinformation or fake news
- Don’t use copyrighted material without permission
- Stay on topic in groups and avoid spamming the same post repeatedly
- Review posts that get flagged to understand what caused the violation
- Read Facebook’s standards fully so you understand what is and isn’t permitted
Can My Account Get Disabled for Too Many Violations?
Yes, Facebook can and will disable accounts for users who repeatedly violate their policies and standards. Some key points:
- Multiple violations in a short time period may lead to account disablement
- Some severe violations can result in immediate disabling without warnings
- Disabled accounts cannot be accessed until a set amount of time passes
- Appealing a disablement and avoiding further violations may restore access
To reduce your risk of getting disabled by Facebook:
- Carefully review posts to ensure they follow all standards
- Delete inappropriate older posts that could still get flagged
- Respond cooperatively to any warnings or requests from Facebook
- Appeal disables if you think they were unjustified
What Happens When My Account is Disabled?
If your account gets disabled by Facebook for violations, here’s what typically happens:
- You will get a notification explaining why your account was disabled.
- All access to your Facebook account will be temporarily suspended.
- Your profile, posts, photos, videos, and data will be hidden until the account is reenabled.
- You can submit an appeal request to potentially have your account reinstated.
- The disable period is often 24 hours for minor first-time violations.
In some cases, Facebook disables accounts permanently if there are severe or repeat offenses. But in most cases, complying with their policies allows accounts to be restored.
Steps for Appealing a Disabled Account
If you believe your account was wrongly disabled by Facebook, you can appeal the decision and request a review. Here is the process:
- Click on the “Request Review” button in the account disabled notification you received.
- On the Appeal page, explain clearly why you think the disable was unwarranted.
- Provide relevant context and details the reviewer needs to reconsider your case.
- Emphasize any mitigating circumstances around your violations.
- Acknowledge any past errors and explain how you will adhere to standards moving forward.
- Be patient and wait for a response from Facebook’s appeals team.
- Accept the final decision if your appeal is declined, and learn from the experience.
Submitting a thoughtful, sincere appeal with the right details can help get your account restored in many cases. However, Facebook tends to uphold disables when violations are clear-cut.
Can I Just Create a New Account?
If your Facebook account is disabled, it’s best not to just create a new account to get around it. Here’s why:
- Facebook may detect the new account is linked to a disabled one and quickly disable it too.
- Having multiple accounts can be considered deceptive and lead to harsher penalties.
- Making a new account means losing your old profile, posts, connections, and more.
- It’s better to sincerely appeal the disable decision and wait for access to be restored.
There are rare cases where starting fresh with a new account makes sense. But in most cases, having patience and cooperating with Facebook through proper appeals is better.
Final Thoughts
Getting an alert about your post violating Facebook’s standards can be worrying, but it’s often just a reminder to be thoughtful about what you share. The best approach is reviewing their policies to avoid future flags, appealing if you think posts were mistakenly flagged, and staying patient through account disables. With over 2 billion diverse users, Facebook has to draw some lines on what’s allowed, even if imperfect. But if you make a good-faith effort to follow their rules, you can avoid most issues.