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After a wave of bulk bans that affected both Facebook and Instagram Users, Meta users are now alleging that mass suspensions are also impacting Facebook Groups. Both domestically and internationally, the bans have impacted thousands of groups across a wide range of categories, according to individual complaints and coordinated information-sharing initiatives on platforms like Reddit.
Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta, acknowledged the company was aware of the problem and was taking steps to fix it when contacted for comment.
We are aware that certain Facebook groups were affected by a technical glitch. In an emailed reply to TechCrunch, he said, “We’re fixing things now.”
Although the cause of the widespread bans is unknown, many believe that poor AI-based moderation may be to blame.
Many of the suspended Facebook groups, according to information provided by impacted users, aren’t the kind that would typically raise moderation issues because they concentrate on relatively harmless content, such as parenting advice, gaming groups, Pokémon groups, groups for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, savings tips or deals, and groups for dog or cat owners.
Facebook group administrators say they have received ambiguous violation notices about things like nudity or “terrorism-related” content that their groups haven’t uploaded.
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Many of the affected organizations have tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of users, although some are smaller.
Those who have banded together to exchange information about the issue are telling others to wait a few days to see if the suspension is automatically lifted once the glitch is solved, instead of appealing their group’s ban.
The recent cleanup has sparked a flurry of responses from group administrators and users in Reddit’s Facebook community (r/facebook). Some claim that all of the organizations they oversee have been abruptly shut down. Some people find the alleged infractions unbelievable, such as a club for bird images that has just under a million members that have been flagged for being nude.
Help has been available to at least some Facebook Group administrators who have purchased Meta’s Verified subscription, which comes with priority customer assistance. However, several claim that their groups have been completely removed or suspended.
Although it’s unknown if the current wave of bans affecting Meta members personally is the cause of the issue, it appears to be spreading other social networks.
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Users have been complaining about widespread suspensions on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr in recent weeks, which has led them to believe that AI-automated moderation attempts are to blame.
Although it disputed that AI was the cause of the mass bans, Pinterest at least acknowledged its fault and stated that the bans were the result of an internal error. Tumblr said that its problems were related to tests of a new content filtering system, however it did not specify if artificial intelligence was used in that system.
Last week, Meta refused to respond when questioned about the Instagram bans. Users are now requesting that Meta fix the issue in a petition that has received over 12,380 signatures to date. Others are taking legal action, including individuals whose businesses were impacted.
Meta still hasn’t disclosed the reason behind the problem with either groups or individual accounts.
