Is Facebook really removing that image for being offensive?

Have you ever seen an image on Facebook of something seemingly innocent or harmless, but where the caption implored you to share it because Facebook were actively trying to remove it?

Perhaps the caption claimed that Facebook or some other group found it offensive, and thus Facebook were preventing the image from being on the social networking website by removing it.

It’s most probably like-farming (learn more about it here.) Someone on Facebook is trying to get that post to go viral in order to gain followers for their Facebook page, and they’re using deceptive tactics in order to do that. They’re also using you, too, with simple exploitation.

This method works because the like-farming spammer is tricking the Facebook user into agreeing with them that the image should not be removed from Facebook, and in the process is acquiring their help to make the post go viral across the site by asking the user to share it, despite Facebook actually not trying to remove the photo at all.

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The method works best on emotive images that people will feel strongly towards and would also react strongly if Facebook really were trying to remove them from the site. Let’s look at an example that has been popular recently.

American military emblems. In the United States, citizens are both very supportive and protective of their armed forces, meaning any notion that Facebook are removing these emblems is likely to be met with substantial resistance.

Now, of course Facebook are not removing military emblems, which is demonstrable by the fact that nearly every military organisation have their own emblems as their Facebook profile pictures. But if a user sees a post claiming that Facebook are removing the emblems and to share the image to “show your support” then it is likely that the user will do just that, to show both their support for the post’s cause and their dissatisfaction for the decision Facebook apparently made to ban the image.

In a similar vein, another example below –

This example spread over a number of years, despite Facebook never removing the photo or even attempting to. Or what about this popular example…

Again, no Facebook didn’t try to remove the nativity scene. No one finds it offensive… it’s just a ruse, exploiting popular bigoted rhetoric about “other religions” finding the image offensive when none actually do.

There are plenty of other examples. Photos of apparent UFOs that the American government are trying to remove. Photos of disabled children that Facebook apparently finds offensive. Facebook are removing photos of the Australian national flag or symbols or badges related to Anzac Day. Even a photo of a house covered in the St. George flag that was apparently banned by Facebook.

While many people can often post these sorts of things in error, there is a good chance that they have been posted with an ulterior motive. And that is the person behind the post knows full well that it is a lie, but it trying to lure Facebook users into sharing the photo – usually by trying to lure people into following their page by deceiving you. I.e. like-farming.

If Facebook don’t want a specific photo on their site, the chances are you won’t even be able to see it or upload it. Facebook have the technology to recognize certain photos as soon as they get uploaded, meaning if the image is staring you in the face asking you to share it, Facebook probably already know it’s there and don’t care.

Other popular like-farming methods include asking people to comment Amen on a photo, claiming you must “repost this if you have a heart”, claiming something “magical” will happen to a photo once you hit like, or even claiming you will win a prize by liking and sharing a Facebook post.

Don’t fall for their tricks. Ultimately, it is only the spammers on Facebook that stand to gain anything.