Some Facebook users may notice that some comments on posts appear greyed out. There are a few potential reasons why comments may show up this way. The grey comments are comments that have been marked as spam, offensive, or abusive in some way. Facebook has automatic filters in place to try to detect comments that violate its Community Standards, and greys out these comments so they are less visible on posts. Users can still click on the greyed out comments to view them if they choose. So in summary, grey comments are ones that Facebook has filtered and “soft-hidden” because they likely violate Facebook’s rules.
Main Reasons for Greyed Comments
Here are some of the main reasons why a comment may be greyed out on Facebook:
Spam Comments
One of the most common reasons for a greyed out comment is that Facebook’s automated spam detection has flagged it as spam. Some examples of comments that may get flagged as spam include:
– Repeated identical comments posted multiple times
– Comments with unrelated links or excessive links
– Comments posted very rapidly in a short amount of time
– Comments posted to many unrelated posts or pages very quickly
– Comments with content that appears auto-generated or copied and pasted
Facebook is constantly working to improve its spam detection algorithms to prevent spammy comments from being visible on posts.
Offensive or Abusive Language
Facebook also greys out comments that contain offensive, abusive, or hateful language that violates its Community Standards. This includes comments with:
– Profanity or vulgar language
– Hate speech or threats based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, or disabilities or diseases.
– Bullying or harassment
– Sexual or graphic content
– Support for dangerous organizations or individuals
Facebook relies on both automated detection and user reports to identify such comments. Moderators then review comments flagged as abusive to decide if they should be removed or greyed out.
Irrelevant or Inappropriate Comments
Sometimes comments get greyed out if they are irrelevant to the post they are on or inappropriate in some other way. For example, spammy comments promoting unrelated links or products may get marked as irrelevant. Comments posted as replies in the wrong place can also get greyed out. Rude or vulgar comments that don’t quite rise to the level of harassment can also potentially get labelled as irrelevant.
How Facebook Greys Out Comments
When Facebook detects a potentially policy-violating comment through automated analysis or user reports, here is how it implements greyed out comments:
Automated Filtering
Facebook uses machine learning algorithms to analyze comments and flag potentially problematic ones based on predictive models. Factors that can lead to automated greyed comments include spam signals, hate speech detection, bans on links to flagged domains, etc.
Review by Moderators
Once comments are flagged by automation or users, Facebook moderators will manually review them to confirm if they should be greyed out or deleted entirely. This helps improve the accuracy compared to just relying on its algorithms.
“Soft” Hiding from Public View
Unlike deleted comments which are erased, Facebook keeps greyed out comments visible but makes them much less prominent on posts. They have a lowered opacity and are collapsed by default so other users have to click to see them.
Still Visible to Original Commenter
Users who posted a greyed out comment can still see their own comment normally. But other users see the comment greyed out and collapsed.
Why Greyed Out Instead of Deleted?
Facebook greys out rule-breaking comments instead of just deleting them entirely for a few reasons:
Gives Users Some Visibility
By keeping comments visible but greyed out, it allows the original commenter to still see that their comment was there, even if others can’t see it prominently. This helps avoid confusion if comments seem to vanish entirely.
Allows Review of Borderline Cases
Greyed out comments also enable users to request reviews if they feel the comment was unfairly flagged. Users can’t contest deleted comments.
Provides Some Context Around Rules
Seeing what types of comments get greyed out can help people better understand Facebook’s content policies. Without seeing greyed out examples, the rules can seem vague.
Upholds Free Speech Principles
Full deletion of comments could be seen as overly censorship and limiting of free speech. Greying maintains some visibility while still reducing the impact of unacceptable comments.
Can Greying Be Reversed?
In some cases, it is possible to get a greyed out comment reinstated. Here are some tips:
– **Report the Comment to Request Review:** Use the built-in reporting tool on the comment to ask Facebook to review if the greying was appropriate. Provide additional context if needed.
– **Edit the Comment:** Sometimes editing a greyed out comment to remove any offensive parts can lead to Facebook un-greying it after review.
– **Appeal Blocks or Ban:** If your account received a block or ban related to greyed comments, you can submit an appeal with Facebook to explain the situation and request the block be reversed.
– **Avoid Problems in the Future:** Adjust your commenting behavior to align with Facebook’s standards so new comments don’t get greyed out.
However, reversal is not guaranteed. Facebook prioritizes keeping its platform safe and will uphold greying if it still finds the comment violates policies after review. Patience and understanding is recommended when dealing with greyed out comment issues.
Data on Greyed Comments
Facebook does not provide detailed public data on how many comments get greyed out or the exact reasons and frequency. However, we can look at some related high-level transparency stats that Facebook does report:
| Time Period | Spam Comments Detected | Hate Speech Comments Removed |
|---|---|---|
| July – September 2021 | 1.4 billion | 19 million |
| October – December 2021 | 1.2 billion | 15 million |
This shows hundreds of millions of comments are likely being greyed out each quarter, based on the volume Facebook detects as spam or hate speech alone. The majority of greyed comments are likely from spam rather than offensive content.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook greys out some comments to reduce visibility of content that appears to violate its Community Standards, while avoiding outright deletion. Reasons for greying include detection as spam, offensive language, harassment, or just irrelevant comments. Facebook uses a mix of automated filtering and human review to identify comments to grey out instead of deleting them entirely. While reversal is not always possible, users can try reporting, editing, or appealing blocks to potentially get some comments un-greyed after review. Greyed out comments, while annoying if one’s own comment is affected, overall help Facebook maintain a safer, more inclusive environment.