There are a few main reasons why you may see the message “This message was removed because it doesn’t follow our community standards” when using Facebook Messenger:
You sent a message that goes against Messenger’s community standards
The most common reason for seeing this message is that the content of your message went against Messenger’s community standards and policies. Messenger has rules in place to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all users. Some things that go against the community standards include:
- Abusive, harassing, or threatening language
- Nudity or sexual content
- Hate speech or symbols
- Spam or scams
- Sales of regulated goods
- Information that violates privacy
If your message contained any prohibited content like this, Messenger will remove it and notify you that it went against the standards.
Your message was flagged by another user
In some cases, another Messenger user may have reported your message as being inappropriate or abusive. Messenger allows users to flag messages that appear to violate policies. If your message gets flagged multiple times, the content moderation team will review it and may remove it if it does indeed break the rules. So you may see this message if your content was flagged by multiple people, even if you didn’t think it was against the standards.
A bug or error with Messenger
Less commonly, you may encounter this message due to a bug or glitch with the Messenger platform. For example, sometimes messages may show as removed on one user’s end but not on the sender’s end. So you could receive the message even though your message wasn’t actually taken down. Bugs like this are usually sorted out quickly.
When does Messenger remove messages?
Messenger has automated systems and content moderators working around the clock to enforce community standards. Here is an overview of when and why Messenger removes content:
Automated removals
Messenger uses automated systems to scan all messages for obvious violations like:
- Sexually explicit language
- Slurs and hate speech
- Violent threats
Messages containing these types of clear-cut abusive content will be removed automatically by Messenger’s systems.
User-reported content
Messenger relies on users to report any messages that seem inappropriate. The moderation team reviews all user reports and will remove content if it violates policies. Even if nothing seems immediately wrong to an automated check, user reports help identify policy breaches.
Proactive moderation
In addition to responding to user reports, Messenger has trained human moderators who proactively look for violations that may slip past automated systems and user reporting. These moderators take down any messages they discover that go against standards.
Blocked connections
If you block someone on Messenger, any messages sent between you and that person after the block will be automatically removed. This keeps you from seeing messages from blocked users.
Examples of messages removed by Messenger
To give you a better idea of the kinds of messages that Messenger removes, here are some examples:
Hate speech
Any messages promoting hate or violence towards groups based on attributes like race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, etc. will be taken down. For example:
– Racial slurs or derogatory language aimed at certain ethnicities
– Attacks on LGBTQ+ communities
– Threats against religious groups
Abusive language
Messages that insult, intimidate, or frighten another user through offensive or aggressive language will also be removed. For instance:
– Profanity-laden insults against a user
– Sending disturbing or violent images to a user
– Repeated messages that feel harassing or bullying
Sexual content
Messenger prohibits nude photos/videos, pornography, and any sexual solicitation, so messages containing this material will be taken down.
Regulated goods
Any messages promoting the sale of drugs, firearms, or other illegal or regulated goods will be removed by moderators.
Spam and scams
Messages trying to scam users through phishing links, fake deals, or other shady practices will be taken down once identified. Repeated spammy messages may also be removed.
How to avoid your messages being removed
To prevent your Messenger messages from being removed, avoid these common pitfalls:
- Never send any nude, sexually explicit, or pornographic content
- Don’t use profanity or insult other users – be respectful
- Avoid potentially illegal activity like selling drugs or firearms
- Steer clear of spamming or repeatedly messaging someone who hasn’t replied
- Never threaten or harass other users
Essentially, behave thoughtfully, follow the law, and respect other Messenger users. If you avoid obviously abusive language and content, your messages should not run afoul of policies. But everyone makes mistakes, so if a message does get taken down just take it as a learning experience.
What to do if your message is removed
If you receive notice that a message was removed for violating Messenger’s community standards, here are some steps to take:
Review the problematic message
Read over the message that was removed and objectively assess whether it reasonably could have gone against Messenger policies. If the violation isn’t clear to you, move on to the next steps.
Check Messenger’s policies
Review Messenger’s Community Standards page to read their policies in detail. This can help give you a better sense of what kinds of messages are not permitted.
Contact Messenger support
If you still believe the removal was a mistake, reach out to Messenger’s support team and politely explain the situation. They can look into whether your message was removed in error.
Appeal the removal
Messenger may offer an option to appeal the removal within the app. Submit an appeal explaining why you don’t think your message violated policies.
Avoid similar messages in the future
Ultimately it’s best to learn from the experience and be more mindful of Messenger’s rules moving forward. Continuing to send questionable messages may get your account restricted.
Important facts about Messenger’s moderation policies
Here are some key facts to understand about Messenger’s content moderation practices:
Messenger aims to enforce policies consistently
While not perfect, Messenger strives to apply standards evenly across all users. They aim to avoid unequal treatment based on race, gender, or other attributes.
The policies evolve over time
As language and cultural norms change, Messenger occasionally updates its rules. What was allowed a few years ago may now go against updated standards.
Moderation involves human judgment
Automated systems cannot identify all nuances, so human moderators ultimately make judgement calls. This means some “close calls” could go either way.
Feedback helps Messenger improve
If you feel the policies or enforcement seem unclear or unfair, you can and should submit feedback to Messenger. This helps them enhance the standards.
Some policy areas see more focus than others
Messenger devotes more moderation resources to certain high-risk categories like hate speech, harassment, nudity or sexual content. Other areas may receive less scrutiny.
Data on Messenger content takedowns
Messenger’s parent company Meta publishes transparency data on content removals across their platforms. Here are some key statistics for removals on Messenger:
| Time Period | Content Removed from Messenger |
|---|---|
| July – December 2021 | 1.8 million pieces of content |
| January – June 2022 | 4.16 million pieces of content |
This shows Messenger took action against around 4 million abusive messages in just the first half of 2022.
Breakdown by policy area
Digging deeper, this table breakdowns removals by policy area in 2022 so far:
| Content Category | Pieces Removed |
|---|---|
| Bullying and harassment | 829,000 |
| Hate speech | 683,000 |
| Violent and graphic content | 449,000 |
| Child nudity and sexual exploitation | 307,000 |
| Regulated goods | 257,000 |
| Sexual solicitation | 218,000 |
This highlights areas like harassment, hate speech, and exploitation of minors as priorities for Messenger enforcement. Spam and scams likely make up much of the “regulated goods” takedowns.
Rate of proactive detection
In addition to measuring pieces of content removed, Meta tracks how much abusive content on Messenger its proactive detection systems catch before users report it:
| Time Period | Proactive Detection Rate |
|---|---|
| July – December 2021 | 46.9% |
| January – June 2022 | 52.7% |
So in 2022 so far, over half of policy-violating Messenger content was removed before users reported it, indicating the proactive systems are improving.
Conclusion
To summarize key points:
- Messenger removes messages that violate its community standards around harassment, nudity, regulated goods sales, etc.
- Automated systems, human reviewers, and user reports all help identify violating content
- If your message is removed, understand Messenger aims to be fair and consistent
- Avoiding obviously abusive language/content is the best way to prevent message takedowns
- You can appeal removals or submit feedback if Messenger’s enforcement seems unclear or unfair
Following Messenger’s rules and providing constructive input on the policies promotes a safer, more welcoming experience for all users. With open communication, Messenger can continue improving moderation to better serve the community.