Facebook spam can be super annoying. You log into your account expecting to see updates from friends and family, only to be bombarded with random friend requests, suspicious messages, and sketchy ads. Dealing with Facebook spam seems like an inevitable part of using the platform these days. But why exactly does it happen so much, and what can you do about it?
What counts as Facebook spam?
Facebook spam encompasses a few different things:
- Friend requests from strangers
- Messages from people you don’t know
- “Clickbait” ads with outrageous claims or titles
- Sketchy-looking links posted on your timeline by friends’ accounts that may be hacked
- Copy-and-pasted chain mail messages
- Notifications about random Facebook groups or events
The unifying quality of Facebook spam is that it’s unwanted content coming through your Facebook account from questionable sources. Oftentimes it’s related to phishing scams, sketchy websites, or viral content designed to spread quickly and get clicks.
Why am I getting so much of it lately?
There are a few reasons you may be encountering a lot of Facebook spam lately:
- Your account’s privacy settings are too loose. If your profile and posts are completely public, spammers can more easily find and target you.
- You accept friend requests too readily. Friending strangers makes you more vulnerable to unwanted messages.
- You interact with clickbait posts. Liking, commenting on, or sharing viral scam/spam content signals Facebook to show you more of it.
- Facebook’s algorithm favors engagement. The more you interact with posts, the more reach they gain, whether they’re legitimate or spam.
- More ads. Facebook is relentlessly focused on monetization these days, leading to more low-quality ads being pushed out.
- Security flaws and hacked accounts. Despite Facebook’s security measures, breaches still happen, allowing spammers to exploit accounts.
Essentially, the more information you share publicly online, the more vulnerable you are to spammers who misuse that info. And Facebook’s continual algorithm tweaks that emphasize “engagement” sometimes have the side effect of amplifying spam too.
What are some common types of Facebook spam?
Let’s look at some prime examples of the kinds of spam that flood many users’ Facebook experiences these days:
Friend requests
Likely the most common Facebook spam involves friend requests from complete strangers. Oftentimes the requester will have a sparse profile, stock photos, and/or a suspicious name. These accounts are usually bots or fake profiles operated by spammers to send phishing links or advertise sketchy websites.
Clickbait posts
Posts with outrageous claims (“She poured Coke on her chicken and what happened next is UNBELIEVABLE”), fake celebrity news (“When Bob found out what Jane did, he immediately filed for divorce”), and other sensationalist headlines are designed to grab attention and get clicks. They lead to low-quality ad-ridden sites or videos, and spread misinformation.
“Like and share to win” scams
These viral posts promise prizes like gift cards and electronics if you like, comment, and share – which earns the scammers account reach and clicks. Often the terms and conditions reveal there’s no actual giveaway.
Chain mail hoaxes
These posts typically implore you to copy and paste a message to all of your friends for “good luck” or to stop something bad from happening. They’re usually falsely attributed to causes and spread unnecessary fear.
Fake news
Links posted by friends to dubious “news” sites peddling political propaganda, health misinformation, and conspiracy theories are rampant on Facebook now. The sites are often made to look like legit news to fool readers.
Messenger spam
Spammy Messenger messages contain phishing links to steal personal info, advertise questionable products/services, or spread more spam. Usually from accounts you don’t even know.
Product ads
Facebook’s ad targeting can inadvertently advertise unwanted products to people unlikely to buy them. For example men getting targeted with ads for women’s fashion items.
Should I be concerned about all Facebook spam?
For the most part, Facebook spam is more of an annoyance than a serious threat. Having your feed cluttered with clickbait posts and random friend requests is frustrating, but ultimately harmless.
However, some Facebook spam *does* present privacy and security risks, such as:
- Messages containing phishing links could trick you into entering your login info on a fake page and expose your account
- Spam posts could spread malware if clicked
- Clicking spam links fills the spammers’ pockets with ad revenue and incentive to create more
- Fake accounts and messages access your profile information
- Spam friend requests clog up your social graph with unknown entities
So while most Facebook spam is only a nuisance, it’s smart to be cautious about which links and messages you interact with.
How can I avoid Facebook spam?
Here are some tips to cut down on Facebook spam:
Tighten account privacy settings
Restrict your profile visibility and be choosy about who can see your posts/info. Make yourself less of a target.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Profile privacy | Only friends |
| Post privacy | Friends only or more restrictive |
| Review tags | Enabled |
Decline sketchy friend requests
Don’t accept requests from people you don’t know or accounts with little info/activity.
Avoid clicking spam posts
The more engagement bait posts get, the more they spread. Don’t feed the spammers.
Report spam
Use Facebook’s built-in reporting tools on spam content to have it reviewed and potentially removed.
Use extra login security
Set up two-factor authentication and/or use login alerts to secure your account from phishing.
Install an ad blocker
Browser extensions like AdBlock Plus can detect and remove Facebook ads, reducing clutter.
See less of certain posts/people
Snooze or unfollow friends and Pages that share spam or clickbait regularly.
What is Facebook doing to address spam?
Facebook employs a few key anti-spam strategies:
- AI detection – Machine learning automatically identifies and removes millions of spam posts/accounts daily.
- Human review – Facebook’s content moderation team reviews user spam reports.
- Limiting reach – Potentially spammy posts have their distribution limited until reviewed.
- Removing incentivization – Policy forbids incentivizing likes, shares, and comments.
- Targeted ads – Users see fewer irrelevant ads based on preferences and activity.
Facebook is incentivized to combat spam to keep user experience positive. But the enormous scale of their platform means spam detection is an uphill battle.
How has Facebook spam changed over time?
Facebook spam has evolved alongside Facebook itself over the years:
| Year | Spam Trends |
|---|---|
| 2005 – 2010 | Friend request spam common as Facebook grows |
| 2010 – 2014 | Like-bait posts and clickbait headlines emerge |
| 2015 – 2018 | Fake news and inflammatory memes go viral |
| 2019 – present | Data breaches enable more security threats |
As Facebook’s reached billions of users, financial incentives for spam have skyrocketed. And organized influence operations have weaponized spam tactics for politics.
Conclusion
Facebook’s ubiquity and reach enables widespread spamming at a massive level. Staying vigilant with your privacy settings, limiting engagement with suspicious content, and leveraging Facebook’s reporting tools can help control it.
But ultimately, some degree of spam seems inevitable given Facebook’s platform dynamics and the financial incentives involved. Just try to identify signs of spam, limit its visibility, and avoid feeding the spammers.