Meta has recently updated the way Facebook and Instagram accounts are getting penalized for unwanted content.
The new penalty system will put less emphasis on immediately limiting people’s ability to post and more emphasis on educating users about why content has been removed, which has been shown to help deter future offenses.
Here are some important points that content creators must know about the new penalty system:
1. Account restrictions to persistent violators, typically begins at the seventh violation.
Meta will now track how many strikes an account receives, and each strike will result in a corresponding punishment. However, account restrictions will only be implemented after the seventh strike.
2. Removed content counts as a strike.
If an account post content that goes against the Facebook Community Standards or Instagram Community Guidelines, it will be removed and a strike may then be applied to your Facebook or Instagram account.
Whether we apply a strike depends on these 3 factors:
- the severity of the content
- the context in which it was shared
- and when it was posted.
Note that the context of a post will now be regarded whether a content actually deserves a strike or not.
3. When a violation will not be counted as a strike:
Certain factors may prevent a piece of content from being counted as a strike. Here are two examples:
- violating content posted over ninety days ago for most violations or over four years ago for more severe violations
- certain policy violations depending on the context of the post
4. Multiple pieces of content removed at once, without notifying you at each removal, may also be counted as a single strike.
If several pieces of content are removed at once without notification from Meta, they will be counted as a single strike rather than each piece of content removed as a strike.
5. All strikes on Facebook or Instagram expire after one year.
It’s a good thing Meta has decided to put a time limit on strikes. Every year, your account status will be reset, giving you a fresh start.
6. For most violations, your first strike will result in a warning with no further restrictions.
If Meta removes additional posts that go against the Facebook Community Standards or Instagram Community Guidelines in the future, we’ll apply additional strikes to your account, and you may lose access to some features for longer periods of time.
7. If you continue to post content that goes against the Facebook Community Standards or Instagram Community Guidelines after repeated warnings and restrictions, we will disable your account.
Community standards and guidelines set forth what is and is not acceptable behavior on Facebook and Instagram. When a user submits material that goes against these guidelines, the platform may warn them or impose restrictions.
Facebook and Instagram may disable a user’s account if they continue to violate these standards and guidelines in spite of numerous warnings and restrictions. When an account is disabled, they lose access to the platform and all of their previously posted content is hidden from other users.
8. You can see your history of violations, some restrictions that your account might have and how long they’ll last in your Account Status on Facebook and Instagram.
A user can access the Account Status section of their account settings on Facebook or Instagram to view their account status and a history of violations.
This feature gives users details about any restrictions that are currently in effect or have previously been in effect on their account, including the cause of the restriction, the date it was implemented, and the anticipated duration of the restriction.
9. Pages and groups on Facebook that repeatedly violate our policies may be removed from recommendations and have their distribution reduced. Pages may also be restricted from certain monetisation features, and groups may be required to have the admin approve posts.
A Facebook page or group may lose its ability to be recommended to other users as a useful or interesting page or group if it consistently violates the terms of service of the platform. Facebook may also lessen the distribution of the page or group’s content, which would result in fewer users seeing their posts in search results or news feeds.
Pages that repeatedly violate Facebook’s policies may also experience limitations on specific monetization features in addition to reduced reach and visibility. This may include limitations on the ability to earn revenue through in-app purchases or other forms of monetization.
Groups that violate Facebook’s policies on a regular basis may face additional consequences, such as requiring the group admin to approve posts before they are visible to other group members. This is a check to ensure that the content shared in the group complies with Facebook’s community standards and guidelines.
10. Some of the most severe violations that can get your account disabled even just after one strike
- posting child sexual exploitation content
- accounts of dangerous individuals
- convicted sex offenders
- accounts created to get around restrictions
- instances where people misrepresent their identity
These severe violations are taken very seriously by Facebook and Instagram, and any user who engages in such behavior risks having their account disabled immediately.
It is critical that all users familiarize themselves with the community standards and guidelines of these platforms in order to avoid engaging in behavior that violates their policies.
APPEALING A STRIKE
Meta may occasionally make mistakes. If you believe they made a mistake, you can notify them via the app. You have the right to appeal the removal of your content.
If they discover that your content actually complied with their Community, they will remove the restriction and strike against you and reinstate the content on Facebook or Instagram.
