Is Facebook censoring Local Businesses here in Thailand?

[facebook user]

Over the last month an alarming number of Facebook users in Thailand have started being blocked for posting adverts in local groups.
These bans can last for 48 hours up to two weeks and repeat offenders can get a total block and their account suspended.

When someone falls foul to these bans they are informed with a prompt on screen that they have broken community standards and if you feel that this is a mistake let us know with a link to facebooks help page.

What rules did they break?
Looking over a very ambiguous set of standards that can be interpreted in many ways it still is unclear what someone have done wrong.
The only rule that looks as if it has been broken is a small line in the fraud and spam section.
“We also ask that you respect people by not contacting them for commercial purposes without their consent.”
If these are members only groups and people have joined to see what the local businesses daily specials are is it considered spam?  as surly these people have consented to receiving such information by becoming members.
Many of these banned businesses rely on Facebook groups to promote their daily specials and to inform the groups of news happening in and around Thailand.
So a two week ban can have a big impact on businesses that may already struggling to find tourists.

What happens when you appeal?
If you do use the I think you were wrong button that Facebook provides basically nothing happens. You get no response and are left wondering if anyone is actually reading these appeals.  So you just have to sit and wait for your account to become unlocked.

One user reported that he was banned from posting for two weeks to groups on facebook but that ban has also stopped him from having access to a food group that he is admin of.

So is there more behind these bans?
It does appear to only be local Expat Thai based users that are facing these bans and accounts that are run outside the kingdom are free to post to as many groups as it likes.
And accounts with Thai names seem to be less likely to be banned from posting.

How can you reduce the chances of getting banned?
As previously stated  it is unclear what rules were broken but reducing the number of groups you share to and creating a 2^nd and 3^rd Facebook account seems to be the best solution.


With Facebook announcing that its CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be visiting Thailand on the 30^th of October it will be interesting to see how that visit goes.

 

[maxpower]

I doubt that the Facebook spam algorithm is being racist but it might be acting heavily in areas where people consistently break its rules.

I guess you have studied notes written on how to keep the activity monitor off your back and you out of jail.

If you are flagged and appeal don't expect personal attention from Facebook.

[JohnMc45]

Is there the possibility that it is the business competition flagging the posts? I know in some areas with things like craigslist this is standard practice.     

[facebook user]

22 minutes ago, JohnMc45 said:

Is there the possibility that it is the business competition flagging the posts? I know in some areas with things like craigslist this is standard practice.     

No this is something else. If you share your post to more than 2 groups Boom you get the ban. 

[Antonymous]

If you have a business, for goodness sake open a website. Problem solved. And extra benefit of being accessible to the punters who don't play Facebook and couldn't access your business news before.

 

 

[Peterw42]

15 hours ago, facebook user said:

No this is something else. If you share your post to more than 2 groups Boom you get the ban. 

That is the very definition of spaming, posting adverts and the same post to multiple groups.

If you want to promote your "business" on facebook, make your own group "OR' Pay for some advertising.

[EcigAmateur]

1 hour ago, Antonymous said:

If you have a business, for goodness sake open a website. Problem solved. And extra benefit of being accessible to the punters who don't play Facebook and couldn't access your business news before.

 

 

 

It's clearly essential to have both.

 

 

[blackcab]

If these small businesses rely on facebook so much, why dont they buy some advertising?

[MyFriend You]

I have numerous ad-blocks on my browsers including Facebook...........they want to advertise, create their own website and leave my Facebook alone.  I don't agree with adverts on my facebook - so I take the time to report them all, all as Spam - I don;t ask for them, I don;t care why facebook or Google is sending me unsolicited stuff  I hide and report them all as Spam - finally after a month of constantly reporting them, I get fewer and fewer.

[Alantct]

If these small businesses rely on facebook so much, why dont they buy some advertising?

I am one of the ones that keeps getting banned or restricted and my last two bans were for sharing a paid Facebook advert so it has nothing to do with that. After I got restricted for 7 days I cancelled my ad campaign as it's pointless paying for an advert you cannot share.
There is definitely something erroneous going on.
I also have my own website but in a social media world you still need Facebook so again it's nothing to do with getting a web page or paid advertising.
Regarding spam we'll how can it be Spam to post a sale advert to a sales group ???
Yet when you post to more than two you get kicked? Again it makes no sense. This has only been happening for the past month and never happened so regularly before that. I see hundreds of expats complaining about this lately so something has definitely changed.


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[Alantct]

I have numerous ad-blocks on my browsers including Facebook...........they want to advertise, create their own website and leave my Facebook alone.  I don't agree with adverts on my facebook - so I take the time to report them all, all as Spam - I don;t ask for them, I don;t care why facebook or Google is sending me unsolicited stuff  I hide and report them all as Spam - finally after a month of constantly reporting them, I get fewer and fewer.

This is not about ads from Facebook etc this is about private individuals posting their adverts to advertising groups.
Or sharing paid adverts to groups. If you are a member of these groups then you will expect to see adverts correct?
It's hardly spam or a Facebook offence yet we get banned or restricted access for doing it.


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[Alantct]

That is the very definition of spaming, posting adverts and the same post to multiple groups.
If you want to promote your "business" on facebook, make your own group "OR' Pay for some advertising.

Your not making any sense?
There are thousands of groups on Facebook specifically for posting sales or advertising businesses. These are the groups we are talking about but lately when people from Thailand specifically expats post an ad in there we get penalised.
Also as I mentioned already, I do pay for adverts and still get penalised for sharing the paid advert.


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[jgarbo]

18 hours ago, maxpower said:

I doubt that the Facebook spam algorithm is being racist but it might be acting heavily in areas where people consistently break its rules.

I guess you have studied notes written on how to keep the activity monitor off your back and you out of jail.

If you are flagged and appeal don't expect personal attention from Facebook.

Understand. Facebook is CIA/NSA backed surveillance operation. Oh and they do kitten pics. Don't forget Sugar Mountain's words at the beginning: "Only a f**king idiot would post personal details online." So, we see there're lots FIs out there desperate to be known.  สมน้ำหน้า. Sounds so much more vicious in Thai. Excuse my Schadenfreude but idiots deserve it.

[maxpower]

8 minutes ago, jgarbo said:

Understand. Facebook is CIA/NSA backed surveillance operation. Oh and they do kitten pics. Don't forget Sugar Mountain's words at the beginning: "Only a f**king idiot would post personal details online." So, we see there're lots FIs out there desperate to be known.  สมน้ำหน้า. Sounds so much more vicious in Thai. Excuse my Schadenfreude but idiots deserve it.

Sober up then post.

[facebook user]

3 hours ago, Antonymous said:

If you have a business, for goodness sake open a website. Problem solved. And extra benefit of being accessible to the punters who don't play Facebook and couldn't access your business news before.

 

 

This is not about Websites, Yes most decent businesses have websites its sort of a given today to have one. 
 

2 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

That is the very definition of spaming, posting adverts and the same post to multiple groups.

If you want to promote your "business" on facebook, make your own group "OR' Pay for some advertising.

No this is not Spam, The posts are directed to groups set up for these type of adverts, You join these groups to view these ad's, 
In Bangkok there must be at least 6 different for sale sites. So if you were to sell something and posted in all those sites you would be banned from Facebook. How is that spam? 
 

1 hour ago, TunnelRat69 said:

I have numerous ad-blocks on my browsers including Facebook...........they want to advertise, create their own website and leave my Facebook alone.  I don't agree with adverts on my facebook - so I take the time to report them all, all as Spam - I don;t ask for them, I don;t care why facebook or Google is sending me unsolicited stuff  I hide and report them all as Spam - finally after a month of constantly reporting them, I get fewer and fewer.

Again think your not understanding what this post is about. Its not for the ad's facebook post its in groups set up for these posts. If you are not a member of such groups you will never have to see the posts with or with out your ad blocks. 

[jgarbo]

Just now, maxpower said:

Sober up then post.

Expliquez, s'il vous plait. 

[maxpower]

2 minutes ago, jgarbo said:

Expliquez, s'il vous plait. 

Upstairs for Thinking, Downstairs for Dancing

[jgarbo]

3 hours ago, Antonymous said:

If you have a business, for goodness sake open a website. Problem solved. And extra benefit of being accessible to the punters who don't play Facebook and couldn't access your business news before.

 

 

Correct. Facebook is basically a scam. Now the ads have started, targeted according to your preferences. You really want to do business, open a real website. Want to hear nice things about you cat, stay with Facebook and get bombarded with kitty litter.

[jgarbo]

2 minutes ago, maxpower said:

Upstairs for Thinking, Downstairs for Dancing

Still no explanation. Your English is deficient. Shall we try Thai?

[Peterw42]

24 minutes ago, facebook user said:

In Bangkok there must be at least 6 different for sale sites. So if you were to sell something and posted in all those sites you would be banned from Facebook. How is that spam? 

Big difference between buying and selling something in a local buy/sell page/group, and "advertising" your business there.

Also a big difference if a group of businesses set up to do joint promotion of their businesses or area, and you as an outsider advertise your business there. 

I have seen lots of pages like "place name nightlife", set up by a group of bars to jointly promote themselves and the area. Its not a free for all public advertising group.

Unless a group or page is specificity called "advertise your business here", I would take it as not a public place to advertise.

 

 

 

 

[Alantct]

Big difference between buying and selling something in a local buy/sell page/group, and "advertising" your business there.
Also a big difference if a group of businesses set up to do joint promotion of their businesses or area, and you as an outsider advertise your business there. 
I have seen lots of pages like "place name nightlife", set up by a group of bars to jointly promote themselves and the area. Its not a free for all public advertising group.
Unless a group or page is specificity called "advertise your business here", I would take it as not a public place to advertise.
 
 
 
 

80% of those for sale groups have pinned posts saying that it's ok to post your business advert and those are the groups I am talking about so again your point is incorrect and irrelevant.



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[tryasimight]

2 hours ago, jgarbo said:

Understand. Facebook is CIA/NSA backed surveillance operation. Oh and they do kitten pics. Don't forget Sugar Mountain's words at the beginning: "Only a f**king idiot would post personal details online." So, we see there're lots FIs out there desperate to be known.  สมน้ำหน้า. Sounds so much more vicious in Thai. Excuse my Schadenfreude but idiots deserve it.

and only a f****ing idiot would not read the forum rules and not know that English is the only acceptable language to be used except in the Thai language forum.

You are not impressing anyone. 

[tryasimight]

1 hour ago, jgarbo said:

Expliquez, s'il vous plait. 

oh dear a multi lingual idiot

[TheRascal]

3 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

I have numerous ad-blocks on my browsers including Facebook...........they want to advertise, create their own website and leave my Facebook alone.  I don't agree with adverts on my facebook - so I take the time to report them all, all as Spam - I don;t ask for them, I don;t care why facebook or Google is sending me unsolicited stuff  I hide and report them all as Spam - finally after a month of constantly reporting them, I get fewer and fewer.

Facebook ads are hardly intrusive, nor are Google ads unlike ads on some other sites. 

 

Should companies give people a platform to use completely free and not monetise it at all? Or would a social media platform where you have to pay to use it but you don't see any ads be better?