Facebook is big on personal security and on the protection of every one of its users. This means that, aside from blocking underage users from interacting with specific features, and offering all users different levels of privacy, Facebook itself has the power to intervene when users are not following the community guidelines.
Community guidelines cover both user behaviour and the kinds of posts and content they put out there.
When a user is found to be violating these guidelines, Facebook can take different steps based on the severity of the violation. Most often the account will be suspended for a period of time – sometimes indefinitely if the violation is bad enough.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons behind a suspension.
Common Reasons Behind an Account Suspension
Content That Breaks Community Standards
Facebook operates a strict set of protocol around the kind of content that can be shared.
Any content, be it a post or comments, that is believed to ignite hate or discrimination of any sort can be reported by other users – or it may be picked up directly by Facebook. This includes imagery that breaks regulations.
Misrepresenting Yourself
If you are found to be running an account that is impersonating someone else, or you are found to be misrepresenting yourself in some way to trick others, then action will be taken to close your account.
The aim here is to minimise the risk of users deceiving others, either for financial gain or for harassment purposes.
Harassing Other Users
Another reason why you might be suspended by Facebook is harassment – that is, you are promoting yourself or advertising things on a basis that is deemed excessive.
All of these actions will likely result in some kind of account suspension – sometimes temporary and on other occasions more permanent. Suspensions can be appealed, with users given 180 days to submit and receive notice of an appeal if they want to prevent their account from being deleted.
Suffice to say, the best way to protect your account is to post sensitively, considering the community guidelines and the reasons behind such rules and regulations.
