Facebook groups hit with 'mass suspensions' after Meta technical error

Meta is facing global outrage after a spate of mass bans has swept through Instagram and Facebook, now hitting Facebook Groups hard with scores of users barred from one of the social media platform's key features.

TechCrunch reports that thousands of groups around the world have been suspended, sparking outrage and coordinated efforts on other platforms like Reddit to exchange information.

Meta's spokesperson, Andy Stone, acknowledged the problem, confirming that the tech giant was on the case. "We're aware of a technical error that impacted some Facebook Groups. We're fixing things now," he stated in an email.

The cause behind the widespread bans remains a mystery, but speculation points towards a glitch in AI moderation systems. Affected users have shared that many of the banned groups were unlikely targets for moderation, focusing on harmless topics such as money-saving tips, parenting advice, pet ownership, gaming, Pokémon, and mechanical keyboard aficionados.

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Admins of the Facebook Groups have been left baffled by ambiguous warnings citing violations for "terrorism-related" content or nudity, which they vehemently deny ever posting, reports the Express.

The scale of the issue is significant, with both small and large groups affected, some boasting memberships ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands, and even reaching into the millions.

Users caught up in a recent Facebook group ban wave are being advised by their peers to hold off on appealing the suspension, hoping it will be lifted automatically once a bug is fixed.

Reddit's Facebook community (r/facebook) is currently awash with posts from frustrated group admins and members upset over the sudden removal of their groups. Reports are flooding in about entire groups being taken down in one fell swoop, with some users expressing disbelief at the reasons given for the bans, such as a bird photography group with nearly a million followers being flagged for nudity.

Some users insist their groups were diligently moderated against spam, citing examples like a family-friendly Pokémon group with close to 200,000 members that was accused of referencing "dangerous organisations," or an interior design group with millions of members receiving the same charge.

A few Facebook Group admins who have invested in Meta's Verified subscription, which promises priority customer support, have managed to receive assistance. However, others have shared that their groups faced suspension or complete deletion without resolution.

The connection between this issue and the broader pattern of bans affecting individual Meta users remains uncertain, but it appears to be part of a larger problem plaguing social networks.

Alongside Facebook and Instagram, social networks such as Pinterest and Tumblr have also been hit with complaints about mass suspensions in recent weeks. This has led users to suspect that AI-automated moderation efforts are the culprits.

Pinterest at least owned up to its blunder, stating that the mass bans were due to an internal error, but it denied that AI was the problem. Tumblr stated its issues were linked to tests of a new content-filtering system but did not specify whether that system involved AI.

When questioned last week about the Instagram bans, Meta declined to comment. Users are now rallying behind a petition that has already collected more than 12,380 signatures, urging Meta to tackle the issue.

Others, including those whose businesses were impacted, are seeking legal recourse. Meta has yet to reveal what's causing the issue with either individual accounts or groups.