Have you ever heard someone commenting “My account is in Facebook jail!”
Well, if you haven’t, don’t worry. It doesn’t happen quite often, but it happens. Before you start imagining iron bars and striped clothes, know that it isn’t actually a physical jail. But, Facebook does have its own way of dealing with users that violate their community standards and put them in a virtual jail.
What is Facebook Jail?
Facebook jail is a concerning thing for someone who uses their account/page to continuously promote and sell products or services. Being a business, it is necessary to be aware of the things that can cause complications and stop you from using your account. Even a minor mistake can lead to the closure of your account.
The penalties range from the ban of uploading posts for a few hours, 3 days, 6 days, a week, or up to the removal of the profile or page. The sentences can last from a couple of hours and go up to 21 days.
Thus, there are mainly two types of blocking in Facebook jail:
- Temporary blocking: In such a case, Facebook suspends your account for a certain period of time and after the ban period gets over, you can resume your account activities. The maximum period for putting such a ban is 21 days.
- Permanent blocking: This is when your account will be permanently deleted and it will not be possible to ever get access to your account again.
Why does Facebook put people in jail?
On 17 September 2019, Facebook revealed the additional steps they are introducing to fight hatred and extremism around the Facebook network. Although it is frustrating, it is important to note that Facebook is doing this in order to preserve the credibility, protection, privacy, and integrity of all members of the Facebook community.
How do you know if you are in Facebook jail?
Needless to say, there is no requirement for third-party software for this. If you screw up anything, you will get to know as soon as you log into your account. If you are already logged in and using Facebook, and get jailed midway, you will not be able to like any post or upload anything on your profile.
With time, the policies and terms for using Facebook have become stern. Facebook takes every necessary precaution to remove people that can do even a little harm to the platform and its community.
Any violation of terms of usage can result in the suspension of your account. You can easily come out of this by taking the necessary steps. If nothing works out, it is advised to turn to the Facebook community for help and contact their support to find a solution.
What will put you in Facebook jail : Top Reasons for being put in Facebook jail
There can be several reasons for which you can be put into Facebook jail. Some of them are listed below:
- If you’ve been sharing nude and provocative stuff, you’ll be suspended. Facebook has a very tough policy against such material.
- If you hate any user or group on Facebook, it’s better to keep it to yourself. Facebook bans any account that throws hate speech, threats, or attacks on any person/page/group on the platform.
- Spamming people with posts is another popular reason for being put in Facebook jail.
- Do not post fake or plagiarized content. As much as Facebook loves real and original Facebook posts, it hates fake rumors and copied posts.
- Your fan following will not affect the fact that your account can be suspended. You will be banned regardless of your followers if you violate any rule.
- Posting on Facebook groups in excess will also result in going to Facebook jail. This is avoidable if you use multiple profiles or pages.
Go through the terms of service: Although a majority of people don’t do it, it is quite necessary to have a glance at the terms and conditions. When you start a page or group, just go through the terms to avoid any complications in the future.
Suspicious payments: While using Facebook ads, register your real and authorized credit card. It should be on your name and you must be in its possession all the time. Use of fraud cards/different cards while making transactions can push Facebook to put you in jail.
What happens when you get banned from Facebook?
If you find yourself in Facebook jail, you’re not alone. The increased security measures by Facebook have resulted in the restriction of actions for a large number of profiles and pages. The good thing is that the Facebook jail doesn’t last forever (if your accounts don’t continuously violate the regulations). After a certain period, you’ll be able to use your account just like you did before. Just be extra cautious when you come out of it. Usually, Facebook jail is also followed by a probation period of 7 days.
How long is Facebook jail?
There are two types of Facebook jail blockings that you should know: temporary and permanent.
Temporary blocking
In a temporary blocking setting, Facebook would block your account for a fixed or specified period of time, generally a few hours or a few days.
The maximum time for blocking by Facebook is 30 days. Once you go over this period of time, you get out of Facebook jail and get access to your account.
Permanent blocking
To get out of Facebook jail in the case of permanent blocking is borderline impossible. So, for business owners and marketers who have put in significant hours and effort into Facebook marketing, Facebook jail can be a complete destruction of resources.
How to put someone into Facebook jail?
As per the announcements made be the CEO at Facebook, anything you say or announce that falls under the “Objectionable content” category can land you into Facebook jail. They have further specified four areas of this category; hate speech, graphic violence, adult nudity, and sexual activity.
How to come out of Facebook jail when you get banned?
When it’s about to the lowest level, there’s a lot that can be done. You may file an appeal for a review on Facebook. After doing that, you will receive an email regarding its outcome. Either it’ll get accepted or rejected. Many people have done this and Facebook has restored their account’s functionality.
The other two levels are higher and there’s nothing you can practically do about it. The only thing to do is to just create a new page or even an account. In short, the lowest level is easy to get out of, but for the other two levels, the chances are very low.
In case your account is not removed and you get the access back, remember to follow the guidelines properly and not make your profile look spammy. There are a few things that you can in order to avoid being thrown in Facebook jail. ‘Prevention is better than cure’ should be the only motto when it comes to staying away from getting suspended.
Let’s see what you can do to avoid this situation.
8 ways to avoid Facebook jail
1. Set a frequency of sharing posts on Facebook
If you post the same content multiple times on different Facebook profiles, groups, or pages, you are likely to be thrown into Facebook jail. If you want to avoid being suspended because of this reason, leave some time between posting on different accounts. This might sound time-consuming, but is the only way out.
To keep things in line and to avoid wastage of time, you can consider scheduling your posts in advance using a social media scheduling tool. There are a lot of tools available that can help you do the job.
2. Don’t use plagiarized content
Facebook literally hates copied content! The platform supports and encourages the sharing of original content – something that can be of worth to the community. When you share plagiarized content continuously on your profiles, you are likely to be marked as spam by others. So to avoid being put into Facebook jail, you should consider using images saved from Google searches. Using original content will also make your profile look fresh, unique, and attractive.
Even if you are using stock images, make sure that they don’t carry copyright or licensing issues. Also, remember that the originality factor not only applies to images, but also to videos, text, and links.
3. Avoid unnecessary tagging
Gone are those days when you added random people to your posts just to grab attention and get some likes. Adding unknown people to your posts continuously will not only affect your image but also increases the chances of being put into Facebook jail. Along with this, also avoid sending friend requests to people in bulk at the same time. This activity is also considered spam and might affect your account.
This is because a majority of people will not accept your request as they don’t know you and will end up reporting your account as spam. Additionally, adding random people to groups without asking them also doubles the odds of your account being reported and eventually closed.
4. Stay away from spamming activities
There are a lot of actions that can be marked as spam and lead you to Facebook jail. Below are some things that you should avoid to stay clean in eyes of Facebook:
- Send friend requests only to people you know personally or to mutual friends. They will definitely accept your requests and if not, at least not mark you as spam. When a lot of your friend requests go unanswered, your account can be considered spam.
- Avoid sending promotional messages through DMs in bulk. Facebook demands its users to utilize its messaging service in an honest and ethical manner. Thus, if you are sending promotional messages repetitively to people, they will mark you as spam to get rid of the constant notifications.
- The practice of promoting your business on other business’ pages or groups in a spammy manner can also carve your path to Facebook jail. Know how to schedule Facebook group posts the right way so people won’t end up blocking or reporting you.
5. Block people who can be harmful to you
Whether you know it or not, there are always going to be people who wish to bring your account down by reporting every post without any specific reason – such as your competitors. To prevent being attacked by such people, you need to take appropriate actions first. If you know any competitors or other users that might report your content, block/report them. They’ll no longer be able to see your posts – preventing you from unwanted reporting. When your posts are taken down for no reason, you can even Contact Facebook and let them know about this situation.
6. Watch the speed of liking and commenting
You might have heard about bots – they automatically like and comment on people’s posts. They are basically automated robots acting as humans on social media sites. And, they are often marked as spam because of liking and commenting in bulk. Thus, if you are also a serial liker and commenter, you can get blocked. It is recommended to control the speed at which you pass on likes and comments on people’s posts.
This also allows monitoring traffic details on Facebook, which will otherwise fail if numerous people participate in various activities in a limited amount of time.
7. Limit the number of posts per day
Along with the quality of posts, you also need to keep a check on the quantity. According to Facebook experts, a maximum of 5 to 6 posts per day are enough to boost your reach and engagement on the platform. So, don’t unnecessarily upload a lot of content on the same day.
Since the aim of your posts is to encourage people to visit your website and know more about your company, it is not at all important to provide users with every piece of information about your business through your Facebook posts. Bombarding a lot of posts in the face of people one after another will straight away lead you to be marked as spam and then into Facebook jail.
8. Shorten your links
Using the same links and posting them on multiple Facebook accounts at the same time can also be marked as spam and result in Facebook jail. It is recommended to use shortened links in your posts as well as bio. It will save you character space, will not make your links look spammy, and will save your account from going into Facebook jail.
There are many tools available online that can help you shorten links for free. Some of them are wp.me, bit.ly, and goo.gl.
The bottom line
Facebook jail is something that you’d not want to get into. The only way to avoid it is to use the platform wisely. Especially when you are using Facebook for business, it is advised that you go through the terms and conditions thoroughly. It will help you in forming the right strategy to post and fill the loopholes.
To put it in a nutshell, space out your posts evenly throughout the day, don’t upload more than 5-6 posts per day, avoid spamming activities, shorten your links, and schedule posts in advance so that you can save time spent in uploading posts manually.
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Frequently asked questions
“Facebook Jail” is not a physical place but a term used to describe a temporary suspension or restriction of a Facebook account. When an account is in Facebook Jail, the user typically experiences certain limitations and restrictions on their account, which can vary based on the nature of the violation and the severity of the offense.
Here are some of the examples of Facebook jails: Restricted posting, Limited Interaction, Hidden Posts, No Public Profile visibility, Messenger Limitations and Appeal Process.
There is no definite way to escape the Facebook jail once you fall into it. But there are a few methods to work around it. Here are the options you have once you get trapped:
– Wait it out and do nothing – if there has been a minor violation from your end, it is likely that Facebook will lift the ban in a day. So, you should just wait it out.
– Submit an appeal – when you get trapped into the Facebook jail, you will receive a notification about it with a suggestion to fix it. So, in case you are given a chance to send a request for lifting the ban, do so.
– Create a new account- if nothing else works out, you always have the option of creating a new account.
Getting into Facebook jail is not a pleasant experience. Here are a few things to keep in mind in order to avoid Facebook jail:
– Remember to take breaks between posts
– Be careful while tagging people
– Never add an individual to a group without permission
– Don’t make use of your personal account as a business account
– Send friend requests to only the people you know
There are a few signs to look out for if you want to know whether you are in Facebook jail or not. These include but are not limited to:
– Inability to post on your timeline, other pages, or groups
– If you are unable to “like” other people’s posts
– Not being able to send comments on other’s posts
– If you are blocked from accessing your own page or account, that’s your queue
In case your account is blocked temporarily, you will be in the jail for around 24 hours. The maximum time for holding an account under blocking is 30 days at Facebook.
Signs of someone being in Facebook Jail include:
1.No recent activity (no posts, likes, or comments) for an extended period.
2.Inability to post or interact as they usually do on the platform.
3. Error messages when attempting to log in, indicating temporary suspension.
4. Receiving notifications from Facebook about account review, restriction, or suspension.
5. Asking friends or followers to report issues on their profile.
6. Openly admitting the situation, explaining they are in Facebook Jail.
While in Facebook Jail, you may have restricted access to posting, interacting, and visibility, it can also affect your access to certain features in Facebook messenger, but you may still be able to use it to communicate with existing conversations.
Facebook does not typically disclose the exact duration of Facebook Jail suspensions. The length of the suspension can vary depending on the nature of the violation and Facebook’s policies. When you are in Facebook Jail, you may see a notification about the suspension, but it might not specify the exact duration. It’s best to wait until the suspension period is over or follow the instructions provided in the notification for any potential appeal or resolution. For the most up-to-date information on Facebook’s policies and procedures, refer to their official support documentation.
There are two types of Facebook bans:
1. Temporary bans: these are short term suspensions that can last anywhere from a few hours to several days like anywhere from 24 hours to 30 days.
2. Permanent bans: For severe or repeated violation, Facebook may decide to permanently ban a user’s account, meaning they will not be able to use the platform again.
You cannot directly search for someone who is in Facebook Jail if their account is temporarily suspended or restricted. When an account is in Facebook Jail, the user’s profile visibility is often limited, and their posts may not be visible to the public or their friends.
If you were previously connected to the person or have a link to their profile, you might be able to see their profile, but you may notice limited activity and restrictions on their account. However, if the account is completely banned or permanently removed, you won’t be able to find it at all through search.
Dr. Dinesh Agarwal is a research scientist turned entrepreneur. He is fascinated with the social media world and has been working in the industry since 2013, where he built his first social media management tool that got acquired a few years later. He likes sharing his experience on podcasts, conferences and via his articles.