In the last few days several of my friends have landed in Facebook jail.

Now if you don’t know what Facebook jail is…well it’s Facebook’s version of a “time out”. And that “time out” is a restriction from posting to your time line or commenting on posts from any one for a period of 24 hours to 30 days.

It used to be that Facebook would flag your offensive post, tell you about it, give you the time out and then remove the post. Now, Facebook leaves the offending post up, and nails you again when someone comments on it or reports it. So essentially Facebook is hoping you will remove it or face further jail time.

In the real world this is like telling a graffiti artist that he needs to remove his art work or face fines every time someone looks at it.

Facebook is acting as judge, jury and executioner without regard to hearing your side of the story.

This is Jillian’s story…

I was just put in FB for 3 days, came out of it, and 24 hours later I was out back into FB jail for another 24 hours for the very same post they “punished me for the first time.

It all started when a FB friend posted a meme with a photo of four women on “the other side.” I commented two words about those women and I said nothing against their races or anything else but I got a notification that it was “hate speech.”

Then I put a screen shot on my own page and explained what had happened. I said it was ridiculous that this one-sides censorship goes on. Several people commented. Then I was slapped with 3 days in FB jail because, apparently, voicing one’s opinion in a non-violent way that does not threaten anyone or insult them based on their ancestry is considered “hate speech.”

This was a big problem because I have a day job doing social media for a nonprofit. I now have another account so I can take care of business when this happens again. Because I’m sure it will happen again.

Facebook used to put you in FB jail along with a notification that said they were removing the post. Now they leave it up:

The post stayed up while I was in FB jail and a few more people commented on it.

After my release from FB jail, I posted a couple of responses to those comments. Then I was right back in FB jail for 24 hours.

To pass the time during my incarceration, I reported a lot of posts that actually are hate speech, discriminatory, etc.

What did FB do?

They responded and told me that every single one of them did not violate community standards.

Compared to the posts I reported, my incriminating post was incredibly mild.

A few years ago, I reported a meme to FB and it also came back as not a violation of community standards. The meme included an image of a naked woman with the corner post of a bed crammed up her lady parts. The text said, “I live this f__king post!”

How in the world was that meme NOT a violation of community standards???

I don’t care which political party you claim — you should be angry that your friends are being silenced over their opinions. Especially when those opinions are not expressed with violence.

It is not reasonable to have a website as huge as FB, with people from all over the world, and silence people. For no reason other than you don’t like their political party and you assume everyone within that party agrees 100% with all views.

I was going to share screenshots of a few of the images I reported while incarcerated, which were found NOT to be violations. But I decided not to because I don’t want to risk being reported for those images and going right back to FB jail.

And here’s Terry’s story…

I’m not a Trump supporter. I voted for ‘the other guy.’ However, the irrationality, dementia, and unfocused hate that seeps into even non-Trump threads as hijackings get my sense of rationality riled.
I’ve been put in FB Jail four times in the past 18 months when I comment on this.
I make the same comments in defense of rationality about 4-gang, Clintons, Obama, Booker, etc. and Never have been put into FB jail.

If what you are posting offends someone and they report it, you go to jail. And it only takes one person to be offended and wham-o and you are tossed in the brink. 

As Scott says…

They have rules for them and they have rules for us.

Scott was referring to Facebook’s Community Rules and it seems there is no rhyme or reason to how they are enforced. But those who support a certain political candidate, certain religion or have an opinion that goes against another’s viewpoint and they could face a 24 hour, 72 hour or 30 day suspension or banned for life. 

Theresa shared her thoughts…

If you post anything conservative politics, President Trump or anything religious and someone reports you, you are in Facebook jail. No questions asked. I have been in Facebook jail a bunch of times because God and our President offends people. I reported foul things and people don’t get in trouble, post a picture of what I mentioned above and you are in for 3 days.

There is no facing your accuser, no representation of any kind…you are deemed in the wrong and given a sentence. There is no plead deal.

You do your time.

And, when you get back on Facebook you are told once again to follow the rules.

You look at what others are posting which is far worse than anything you have ever posted and yet they never go to jail.

So what really are the rules?

And who really do they serve?

Sadly if you are admin to a bunch of pages or oversee your business’s Facebook page and you happen to get the boot (even for a 24 hour period), you also lose access to those pages until your personal account is given the green light. 

So, always have a back up plan especially if you monitor and post to a business page. Create a secondary profile that you only use for the sole purpose of being a back up admin to your business page. That way if your main profile is tossed in Facebook jail, your secondary profile can step in and still post and keep your business engaging fans.