Have you ever ended up in “Facebook jail?” Or, have you noticed you have some friends and family that end up in this virtual slammer? Why is this? Is it because those who do such are simply truth tellers that the powers that be simply cannot handle? Is it a vast left wing conspiracy that Mark Zuckerberg and his powerful friends are engaged in, as they attempt to suppress your freedom of speech and wage war against the truth?
Unfortunately, none of this is true. If you have not already, be sure to check out Facebook’s “Community Standards” sometime. It’s a bit lengthy, but can be broken down into the following basic categories. And in today’s podcast, I wish to discuss why folks end up in Facebook jail, and how we can better avoid such. So, be sure to listen to the above podcast if you wish to hear me talk more fully about the issues below.
Reasons For Landing In Facebook Jail
- Don’t engage in violent or criminal behavior.
- Don’t engage in behavior that threatens the safety of another individual.
- Don’t engage in cruel and insensitive “hate speech.”
- Don’t engage in spam, share “fake news,” or create fake accounts.
- Don’t engage in the promotion of material that violates intellectual property rights.
How Long Does Facebook Jail Last For?
I’ve not been able to find a definitive list of sentencing guidelines. But, it is commonly reported that Facebook jail can last anywhere from a few hours to up to a month, or even forever. Sometimes these decisions are made by humans, or sometimes these decisions are made by computer programs Facebook runs. Decisions can be appealed. But from what I hear, it’s very hard to win appeals from Facebook jail, and usually it takes a long time to go through the appeals process. Often, the appeal will take longer than the time you actually spend in Facebook jail.
How To Avoid Facebook Jail
I recently read the book, “Christians In The Age Of Outrage: How To Bring Our Best When The World Is At It’s Worst” by Ed Stetzer. I think this is a must read for all Christians on how to civilly engage our world in a Christ-like manner. Stetzer makes a number of great points in his book, especially in regard to how to conduct yourself as a Christian in the context of social media in a way that would honor Christ. Of the numerous points in his book, there were 3 that were my favorite:
- Remember that everyone is created in the “imago Dei” (or “image of God”).
- Be mission minded.
- Post content in a manner that is consistent with a “winsome love.”
