In recent years, Facebook group administrators have been changing their groups from public to private or closed status. This trend has accelerated in 2022, with many large public groups shifting to private. There are several factors driving this change.
Harassment and misinformation
Public groups on Facebook are open to anyone to join, comment, and post. This openness leads to problems with harassment, bullying, misinformation, and spam. Group admins spend a lot of time monitoring posts and comments. Despite their best efforts, public groups can be chaotic with so many random users participating.
Private and closed groups allow much more control over membership and content. Admins can limit group access to only people they approve. Some groups require answering questions before joining. With a more selective membership, there is less harassment and misinformation. Admins have an easier time maintaining civil discussion.
Data privacy
Facebook’s data privacy practices have faced increasing criticism in recent years. There are concerns about how much personal data Facebook collects from users, and how they use it for ad targeting.
For public Facebook groups, posts and comments are visible to anyone on the internet. The conversations within these groups become part of Facebook’s data machine. This visibility makes some users uncomfortable sharing personal stories or sensitive discussions.
Private groups offer more privacy. The conversations are shielded from the public internet. Members may feel safer opening up in a more closed environment.
Monetization
Facebook provides tools for group admins to monetize their groups through paid memberships and shop integrations. Paid groups restrict access to members who pay a monthly subscription fee. These additional features work better for private groups.
Public groups allow anyone to see the posts and benefit from the content without paying. There would be little incentive to subscribe to a paid membership. Shifting to private makes monetization tools more viable for group creators.
Community feeling
Public groups can grow very large, with hundreds of thousands or millions of members. At that scale, there is little sense of community. With a constant influx of new people, conversations become disjointed.
Smaller private groups foster a stronger feeling of community. Members get to know each other better. There are deeper social connections and support systems. The group feels like a tight-knit circle rather than a vast open marketplace.
Case Studies
Here are some examples of popular public Facebook groups going private:
GirlBoss
GirlBoss is a women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship community founded by Sophia Amoruso. The public Facebook group had over 350,000 members. In May 2022, Amoruso announced the group would become paid-membership only moving forward. Members now pay $5 per month for access.
Amoruso cited harassment and competitor spying as reasons for the change. The public setting made it impossible to cultivate a safe space. A closed community will refocus conversations on women supporting each other.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
This group was centered on Marie Kondo’s tidying methods and had over 1 million members. In 2022, the admins converted it to a private group.
They were spending 3-4 hours per day handling conflict and rule-breaking posts. Despite clear guidelines, members constantly posted off-topic or inappropriate content. The only solution was to limit membership to create a more focused community.
Lean In Circles
Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In organization aims to support women in leadership. There were over 45,000 members in the public Facebook group. Lean In recently moved the group to their own platform and made it private.
According to Lean In, the change protects members from data mining. They can share personal stories without worrying about privacy breaches. The organization also cited harassment from men in the public group.
Pros of Private Groups
Here are some of the biggest advantages of shifting a public Facebook group to private:
Better control over membership
Private groups allow admins to restrict access through screening and approval. This filtering creates a more focused member base. Trolls, spammers, and harassers are kept out.
Reduce spam and irrelevant posts
Public groups attract a lot of spammy advertisements and irrelevant posts from random strangers. This noise drowns out meaningful discussions. Controlling membership significantly cuts down on spam.
Minimize harassment and bullying
The openness of public groups enables harassment from strangers. Members of private groups tend to be more considerate of community guidelines. Close monitoring also deters bullying within the group.
Limit spread of misinformation
Misinformation can proliferate rapidly in public groups without oversight. Private settings empower admins to quickly remove misleading or false posts before they go viral.
Foster confidentiality and trust
When members feel confident their discussions are shielded from the public eye, they open up more. The relationships become deeper and more supportive.
Focus the purpose and tone
Careful membership curation keeps conversations on topic. Without random visitors derailing discussions, the group stays focused on its core purpose.
Enable monetization
Paid memberships and shop integrations make more sense for private groups. These tools reward creators for the value they provide to members.
Cons of Private Groups
The downsides of shifting a public Facebook group to private include:
Reduced reach
A major cost is limiting the potential audience and reach. Public groups can accumulate hundreds of thousands of members. Setting up barriers reduces visibility and growth.
Need active admin involvement
Maintaining standards requires diligent admin participation in a private group. Approving members and monitoring all posts takes considerable time and effort.
Onboarding burden
New members may find the screening process annoying. Questionnaires and waiting for approval deter some people from joining. This friction costs the group potential members.
Exclusion drawbacks
While tighter control improves focus, it can also foster elitism and exclusionary attitudes. Some people may feel shut out by the vetting process.
Reduced engagement
Highly engaged superusers drive much of the dialogue in public groups. These passionate voices can be diminished if they don’t make it through the filters of a private group.
Loss of public dialog
There is value in open conversations on public forums. Society loses out when those discussions disappear behind closed doors.
Reduced feedback and accountability
Public scrutiny motivates admins to be more responsive to complaints and feedback. Private groups rely on member trust without external checks and balances.
Key Factors When Deciding to Go Private
Admins weighing whether to convert a public group to private should consider these key factors:
Harassment and conflict levels
If harassment, arguments, or rule violations are taking over the group, privatization may be the only solution. This is a clear sign public settings are not working.
Admin time required
If managing the group feels like a full-time job, going private could free up precious admin time and reduce burnout.
Member demand
Listen to your members. If many are requesting more privacy or paid options, it may be time to deliver it.
Monetization goals
Paid memberships make much more sense for private groups. Consider privatizing to unlock revenue streams.
Competitors
If direct competitors run private groups, closing yours may be necessary to limit spying and poaching.
Ideal member size
Very large groups are difficult to manage at a high quality level. Paring down to a targeted member count could increase engagement.
Here is a comparison table summarizing the key pros and cons:
| Pros of Private Groups | Cons of Private Groups |
|---|---|
| Better control over membership | Reduced reach |
| Reduce spam and irrelevant posts | Need active admin involvement |
| Minimize harassment and bullying | Onboarding burden |
| Limit spread of misinformation | Exclusion drawbacks |
| Foster confidentiality and trust | Reduced engagement |
| Focus the purpose and tone | Loss of public dialog |
| Enable monetization | Reduced feedback and accountability |
Best Practices for Going Private
Here are some recommendations for smoothly transitioning a public Facebook group to private:
Announce the change well in advance
Give members plenty of warning. A month or more of lead time allows people to adjust.
Explain the reasons clearly
Be transparent about why you are making this big shift. Members will be more supportive when they understand the rationale.
Choose settings carefully
Decide whether you want a fully private “secret” group or one that is just closed. Make join requests on approval or questions mandatory?
Develop strong rules
Draft clear guidelines for conduct and content coverage in the new group.
Recruitadditional admins
You will need help managing a private group. Ask for admin volunteers you can trust.
Automate screening
Use admin tools and questionnaires to screen applicants. Don’t do it all manually.
Reward loyal members
Offer lifetime free access or exclusive perks to long-time, active members.
Highlight improved experience
Encourage members to see the benefits of greater privacy and community.
Provide alternatives
If some members are unhappy, suggest other similar public groups they could join instead.
Watch closely at first
Carefully monitor the new private group at launch to nip any issues in the bud.
Conclusion
Shifting large public groups to private settings is a major but sometimes necessary change. Handling harassment and misinformation becomes increasingly challenging at scale. Privatization allows much tighter control over membership and content.
The tradeoff is reduced reach and public access. But for many Facebook groups, cultivating a focused community and safer space for members takes priority. Careful planning and communication are key to smoothing the transition.
There are reasonable arguments on both sides. Facebook groups touch on vital societal discussions. Yet without boundaries, those conversations easily go awry. Finding the right balance is key to enabling meaningful engagement while limiting abuse.