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?
Image Credit: Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash
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.
Go to Account/Help and Support/Support Inbox to see these unwanted notifications.
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.
UPDATE Reason 4:
Inflammatory behavior seems to be another cause of you potentially landing in Facebook Jail.
If you read the comments section of this article, you’ll see someone used the word “idiot” and was banned from Facebook.
My friend was also accused of inflammatory behavior. She reacted badly to what she perceived as a racist comment, and Facebook banned her.
Therefore, if you want to know how to get out of Facebook Jail, you need to try to think like Facebook. If they believe you are upsetting their users, you could be banned.
Important Points About Facebook Jail
Note: This guide mostly 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.
Bonus Facebook Jail Escape Plans
February 2021 Update
How to Get Out of Facebook Jail Bonus Tip 1
A Quora user recommends using the Duck Duck Go browser to access Facebook. Since Duck Duck Go allows anonymous web browsing, Facebook won’t know you are the one trying to use the site.
Note: I have not tried using Duck Duck Go to access Facebook while I was in Facebook Jail nor has the Quora user.
UPDATE: A commenter on this guide revealed: If you want to know how to get out of Facebook Jail, do NOT try Duck Duck Go. The commenter tried it and said it doesn’t work.
November 2020 Update: How to Get Out of Facebook Jail Bonus Tip 2
Don’t panic. Time is on your side. Wait out the suspension.
What to Do When You Are Free From Facebook Jail
Are you fuming that you landed in Facebook prison? Now that you are free from Facebook Jail, will the experience mar your future enjoyment of the site?
The members of the Facebook subreddit often share experiences of being in Facebook prison. As they say, “Misery loves company.” You might want to check them out and compare experiences about being in Facebook Jail.
For instance, you can ask their violations and how long their bans were. Perhaps even learn from each other so you don’t land in Facebook Jail again and how to get out of Facebook Jail if you ever do wind up there again.
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, inflammatory content, or misinformation of any kind.
How to Get Out of Facebook Jail Updates
After publishing this article, many Facebook users commented on this post to share their stories of frustration and their perceived injustices in being on the receiving end of bans they don’t feel they deserve.
Some Facebook users believe they are in Facebook Prison. Others call the ban “Facebook Jail.” Others simply refer to being banned from Facebook.
Regardless of the term used, all their stories are heartwrenching. I encourage you to read the plights of the people who ended up in Facebook Jail in the comments section of this post.
UPDATE February 2021:
Bad news: I am in Facebook Jail again.
Why? The same reason: Facebook accused me of spamming.
This time, I only pasted the same content to three Facebook groups, when I received the notification I couldn’t use the site for an undisclosed amount of time.
In the past my sentence was for 24 hours for this violation. Is my sentence 24 hours again? I don’t know. The automated notice wouldn’t tell me.
How to Get Out of Facebook Jail: Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Am I in Facebook Jail?
There are several ways to know if you are in Facebook Jail. First, you will receive a notice from Facebook. Next, go to Account/Help and Support/Support Inbox to see these unwanted notifications. Finally, you won’t have the same use of the site you usually do. Functions of the site will be limited or you will be blocked from using them altogether.
How long is Facebook Jail?
That depends on the infraction. I know someone who argued and they extended the length of his Facebook Jail. Read the comments of this post to see examples of the various lengths of the Facebook Jail depending on the infraction.
More Social Media Bans
In addition to being thrown in Facebook Jail, you can get punishments on other social media sites.
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.
I recently read in the Twitter Reddit subReddit that a user was banned from Twitter for writing disparaging comments about former President Donald Trump.
If you find your Twitter account suspended, these Redditors discuss how to get your Twitter account unlocked.
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.
Janice Wald is the founder of MostlyBlogging.com. She is an ebook author, blogger, blogging coach, blogging judge, freelance writer, and speaker. She was nominated as the 2021 and 2019 Best Internet Marketer by the Infinity Blog Awards and in 2017 as the Most Informative Blogger by the London Bloggers Bash. She’s been featured on Small Business Trends, the Huffington Post, and Lifehack.
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