How to Get Out of Facebook Jail [3 Ways to Escape]

Am I qualified to tell you how to get out of Facebook Jail?

Yes. I’ve been in Facebook Jail a number of times.

Facebook can produce happiness, but the social media giant can also be a source of great frustration.

By the time you’re done reading this post, you’ll know how to get in Facebook Jail and how to get out of Facebook Jail.

This guide gives you the link to appeal if you need to know how to get out of Facebook jail because you believe Facebook put you there in error.

You’ll also know what Facebook Jail is and other important points about Facebook Jail. Finally, you’ll get to see screenshots that show what you see when you’re in Facebook Jail.

Are you ready to dive in and learn how to get out of Facebook jail?

Facebook has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages include the possibility of ending up in Facebook Jail and suffering the consequences.

How Do You Know if You Are in Facebook Jail?

Naturally, Facebook Jail is not an actual jail with jail cells with bars inside.

Facebook Jail is a metaphor. The phrase means you’re suspended from using Facebook, so you’re in “Facebook Jail.”

Facebook has banned your use of your account or limited your ability to use certain features of Facebook.

You will know if you are in Facebook Jail since Facebook will send you a nasty notice telling you you’ve been accused of violating their policies.

Each time they sent me the notice that my account was blocked, Facebook never mentioned the term “Facebook Jail,” so I was shocked to hear that’s what that was.

It’s true: I’ve been in Facebook Jail several times.

Do you want to see Facebook’s notifications that you are in Facebook Jail?

Look:

Ouch!

If you look at the first two notifications, you see that Facebook also notifies you when you are out of Facebook Jail.

The top notification reports that I have 13 new notifications.

Shall we see what they are?

Look:

Notice: Facebook shows me the graphics of the content it considers to be spam content.

You don’t need to wonder what you did to violate Facebook’s policies. Facebook’s Community Support team tells you.

Are you curious whether you have committed violations that might land you in Facebook Jail?

How to Get in Facebook Jail

Why would you want to know how to get in Facebook Jail? Why, so you can avoid committing the actions that land you there.

Reason 1: Spam

Each time I landed in Facebook Jail, the reason was the same: Facebook thought I was a spammer.

I copy-pasted my blog content promotions in one Facebook group after another. I posted in the Facebook groups so quickly, Facebook accused me of spamming.

I posted identical content too many times in a row.

I was shocked I landed in Facebook Jail! In my mind, a spammer is someone who tries to push too often and too hard for their products or services. It never occurred to me pushing content too hard would also be seen as spam.

One way to avoid being seen as a spammer, an over-promoter, is to have a Facebook Business Page.

This is where you can post your promotions and discounts for instance.

Reason 2: Racism

A short history: In July, Facebook’s sponsors walked out costing Facebook billions of dollars in advertising revenue.

The reason: Advertisers felt Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg prioritized hate for profit.

In a turn around, Zuckerberg has tried to commit to banning inappropriate content.

Reason 3: Misinformation

Also, Facebook will put you in Facebook Jail for spreading misinformation. This might include misinformation about politics or the Coronavirus.

In fact, a “Plandemic” group posted videos spreading misinformation about the virus on Facebook, and the group’s content was removed.

Important Points About Facebook Jail

Note: This relates to my experiences being in Facebook Jail. Other people’s experiences may be different.

When I was in Facebook Jail, I could still read Facebook posts. However, I could not post my own content. Each time I tried, I received a nasty notice from Facebook.

How to Get Out of Facebook Jail

Do Nothing

Generally, you won’t have to wait more than 24 hours to get out of Facebook Jail.

Do nothing. Just let the time pass.

24 hours passes quickly. Then, you can use Facebook again.

Post in a Thread

I learned that I was able to post in threads even though I could not post on the walls of Facebook groups.

Write the Facebook Support Team

If Facebook accuses you of committing a policy violation and puts restrictions on your account, you need to know how to get out of Facebook Jail.

When you receive the dreaded notice that you broke a rule, appeal. That is how to get out of Facebook Jail. Here is the link to appeal.

Once, the Facebook support team shut down my business page. I appealed; they immediately responded and reinstated my page.

Do they always respond quickly?

No!

When they accuse me of spamming, and I write to appeal, I don’t hear back and must wait 24 hours. That is the most effective way I know how to get out of Facebook Jail.

November 2020 Update: How to Get Out of Facebook Jail

Don’t panic. Time is on your side. Wait out the suspension.

How to Avoid Landing in Facebook Jail Again

Simple! Avoid committing the actions that caused you to land in Facebook Jail in the first place.

For instance, in my case, instead of promoting in Facebook groups repeatedly until I’ve finished, now I take a break. If I have 20 groups to promote to, I do ten at a time.

Another option: I can vary the wording in my promotions so I’m not copy-pasting identical content repeatedly.

Certainly, you wouldn’t want to post inappropriate content or misinformation of any kind.

How to Get Out of Facebook Jail: FAQ

Is there a way to get out of Facebook Jail?

Yes! You can wait 24 hours to get out of Facebook Jail or you can write to Facebook and appeal the restrictions.

What gets you banned from Facebook?

Content that is considered spam, racist, or misinformation. In other words, any content perceived as inappropriate by Facebook could get you banned.

More Social Media Bans

In addition to being thrown in Facebook Jail, you can get punishments on other social media sites.

Instagram

An Instagram ban is called a “shadowban.”

Like with Facebook Jail, the best action to take if you find yourself on the receiving end of an Instagram shadowban is simply to wait out the length of the suspension.

What might cause you to receive an Instagram shadowban?

Violations of social media rules cause you to receive punishments on those sites.

For instance, on Facebook, you’re put in Facebook Jail. On Instagram, when you receive a shadowban, your account is suspended or dismantled.

Instagram Shadowban Example 1:

Each time I tried to use a third-party unfollow app to unfollow on Instagram, I received nasty warnings from Instagram. They threw me out of the site and asked me to reset my password. This was a temporary shadowban.

Instagram Shadowban Example 2:

Someone actually cloned my account on Instagram. I reported the violation, and the offender’s site was dismantled. This shadowban was permanent.

Wrapping Up: How to Get Out of Facebook Jail

Takeaways:

This post explained what being in Facebook Jail means, the violations that will cause you to get into Facebook Jail, and what happens what you are in Facebook Jail. Plus, this guide shared how to get out of an Instagram shadowban and examples of violations that caused Instagram shadowbans.

The post also went over three ways you can deal with the restrictions of being in Facebook Jail:

• do nothing
• comment in a thread
• write the Community Support team at Facebook

Note: When wondering how to get out of Facebook Jail, only Strategy 3 will work. The other methods help you deal with being in Facebook Jail.

Readers, please share so other Facebook users know how to get out of Facebook Jail.

I look forward to your views in the comments section. Have you ever been in Facebook Jail? Do you know how to get out of Facebook Jail?

Related Reading

If your Facebook frustrations become too much for you, you might consider, MeWe, the site that bills itself as the “anti-Facebook.” Here is a MeWe tutorial.