Facebook users are complaining that their groups are inexplicably getting hit with the ban hammer, no matter how innocent they are. Across Reddit and X, birders , Pokémon trainers , and interior designers are complaining that their groups are being deleted, with seemingly no regard to the content posted to them or how large they are. In some cases, such as the aforementioned interior design group, these now-deleted pages had millions of members before being shut down.
Reasons given for the bans vary between groups, from accusations that they hosted “terrorism-related” content to claims of “nudity and adult sexual content.” Listen, I know a titmouse is a funny name for a bird, but this is going a bit far.
On the odd chance you thought that Facebook’s pet memes or parenting groups did indeed hold some sinister secret, I’ll disabuse you of that notion right now: This is a bug. An official cause has yet to be tracked down (although users on social media are blaming AI moderation), but Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told TechCrunch that the company is aware of the problem and are in the process of fixing.
This news follows recent mass complaints about “shadowbanning” on Instagram, where site head Adam Mosseri attempted to emphasize the company’s commitment to transparency in its moderation process. Regardless, it’s unclear at this point when a fix might arrive for affected Facebook groups, and if it’s possible to restore them to their previous status.
In the meantime, admins are taking action. One class-action lawsuit is already underway, and multiple Change.org petitions are garnering thousands of signatures . While not being able to chat with like-minded users or see funny pictures might just be a small interruption for some, for business owners, losing access to their audiences can significantly impact their livelihood.
I’ve reached out to Meta for additional clarification but have not yet heard back.
