Meta is under fire once again after a technical error led to the mass banning of Facebook groups, leaving thousands of communities across the world suspended or deleted without clear reasons. The issue follows a recent wave of account suspensions on both Facebook and Instagram, raising growing concerns among users about the company’s moderation systems.

Many affected group admins and users took to Reddit and other platforms to share their frustration. The banned groups range across various interests- from parenting and pet owners to gaming, savings tips, Pokemon fans, and even interior design. 

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Group admins say they received vague violation notices, with accusations of sharing “terrorism-related” or adult content which they claim they never posted, reports TechCrunch. Some groups with just a few thousand members were hit, while others had hundreds of thousands or even millions of users.

Responding to the situation, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone told TechCrunch, “We’re aware of a technical error that impacted some Facebook Groups. We’re fixing things now.”

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Many users suspect that Meta’s AI-based moderation system might be wrongly flagging and removing content or entire groups. Some admins who pay for Meta’s Verified subscription, which offers access to priority support, were able to get help, according to the report.

Reddit’s Facebook community is currently flooded with posts from confused and upset group admins and users. Meanwhile, other platforms like Pinterest and Tumblr also seen similar mass bans recently. While Pinterest admitted it was due to an internal mistake, it denied AI was the cause. Tumblr linked the problem to a test of its content filtering system.

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Ayushi Jain

Tech news writer by day, BGMI player by night. Combining my passion for tech and gaming to bring you the latest in both worlds. View Full Profile