Facebook is the most widely used social media platform on the planet, is brimming with small business pages and accounts.
In 2019, there were more than 90 million small businesses on Facebook. These firms may publish updates, offer contact information and services, solicit consumer feedback, post job advertisements, and establish an online store.
However, the hashtag #facebookdisabledme has developed in popularity on Twitter due to unhappy Facebook users who cannot access their profiles, business pages, or ad accounts. Numerous petitions have been created requesting that Facebook alter its account review process and lift bans on locked-out users.
Facebook’s account evaluation system is powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which prioritises broad identifiers and is deficient in subtlety. Customer support also relies on AI, which means companies cannot contact a person on Facebook to fix a problem.
Users have expressed frustration with the platform’s lack of openness and explanation for why an account or page has been removed. Restoring these accounts may take months, and even then, they may be blocked again days later.
While having your account blocked is inconvenient, the ramifications are often higher for small company owners. They risk losing current clients and potential reach and a significant portion of their revenue, particularly if they lack a dedicated website where consumers can make purchases or arrange services.
We’ll look at why Facebook accounts and pages are being deactivated, the impact on small business owners, and what you can do to avoid this happening to you.
How can I determine if my account has been disabled?
You’ll get notified if your account has been deactivated, but if you believe it was removed in error, you may request a review.
The appeals procedure requires you to provide information associated with your Facebook account and present identification. You may then explain why a mistake occurred.
The most serious consequence is that your whole Facebook account will be deactivated. Not only will your company page and ad account be disabled, but you will also lose access to your posts and videos.
Keep your feed as clean and controversy-free as possible to prevent this. Apart from the obvious, such as not using fictitious identities, impersonating, or harassing people, have a look at the Facebook Terms of Service for suggestions on what not to post.
It is just my Facebook advertisement account that has been blocked.
You’ve almost certainly broken Facebook’s advertising rules.
Your advertisements must not include the following:
- Encourage unethical business practices (anything misleading, scams)
- Utilize fraudulent claims (deceptive offers and promises)
- Have an experience with a non-functional landing page (must go somewhere which gives you the reality of product or service expectation, must not lead to a broken link or page with slow running time)
- Utilize pornographic material.
My company page on Facebook has been deactivated.
Once again, this boils down to breaking community guidelines, such as distributing spam or using trickery to get likes. Having a deceptive page name, misleading postings, or proof of hate speech on your page may result in it being removed from Facebook.
Ascertain that you remain as secure as feasible to avoid the platform’s deactivating page. Caution: This is not always a foolproof procedure; you may have no infractions against your account yet still have your company page removed.
How can I prevent the deactivation of my Facebook account or business page?
Amy Stenson suggests that you continuously check your ad accounts to ensure that advertisements are online and have not been rejected. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that all advertisements adhere to Facebook’s advertising regulations. Perhaps there is some phrase to avoid, as with Nature’s Health Box.
If this is your first advertisement, run a test. Make successful advertisements become templates for future advertisements. Consistency is also critical, so avoid abrupt changes to your advertising activities. Facebook’s artificial intelligence may detect this as suspicious and terminate your account.
The good news is that Facebook has an automated chat function for advertising, but using it requires an active Facebook account. Regrettably, this implies that if you’re locked out of your account, you’re out of luck.
I’d like to highlight a few broad points. To begin, avoid using a credit card connected to a previously deactivated account since this may seem suspicious.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to have many administrators on your company page so that if one of you cannot access it, other members of the business can maintain the page.
Is Facebook likely to alter its AI strategy?
I contacted Facebook to inquire about avoiding accounts being deactivated, contacting a person for assistance, and if the AI system is likely to be reviewed. Still, the social media site did not respond.
To my mind, Facebook’s primary focus seems to be enabling bad accounts rather than removing safe ones. Its most recent Community Standards Enforcement Report demonstrates that the phoney account detection function is effective. Nearly two years, Facebook removed over 99.5 per cent of offending accounts before users reported them. According to the company, 5% of monthly active accounts are bogus.
And with BuzzFeed claiming that Facebook may be creating new artificial intelligence to summarise news, it seems as if the company may be moving toward more AI rather than less.
What follows is totally up to you. If Facebook benefits you and your audience, then remain with it. There is still some excellent functionality and a devoted user base available.
Suppose it isn’t critical to your company. In that case, you may want to consider depending less on Facebook to reach your audience. Examine your marketing and social media strategies to see where your time and money may be better spent.
