# So WTF is up with Facebook banning people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212 "2022-05-27T13:01:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/1 "2022-05-27T13:01:55Z")
I have a FB account but I almost never go on it or post anything so I have little experience with it. Going to do some traveling with a buddy out west next month. He said he finally was going to cave to his family and start a Facebook page so he could post pictures of the Grand Canyon and White Sands, New Mexico. So he sets one up with his email, even gives them his mobile telephone number and a profile picture. Next day they blocked his account saying it violated their “Community Standards”. Other than his pic he didn’t post anything yet. So he appealed and they made him send in a passcode and another picture of himself. Then they made him send a picture of his ID! Then they blocked him for good and told him there was nothing he could do about it, fuck off, goodbye. I saw the message, that is about what it said! He swears he’s never been on FB before and gotten banned for something. Now he wants me to post pictures of our trip so people can see them but I don’t want to that. I think FB is just a vehicle for bragging. So, anyway, why doesn’t Facebook believe my friend is real even after the pictures, email, telephone number, and photo ID? I Googled it and found there are a lot of other people this has happened to. Meanwhile there all sorts of click bait and scammers posting on it. What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/2 "2022-05-27T13:07:51Z")
Maybe someone had signed up with his email address and posted naughty things? I’ve had people sign up using my non-Facebook email and post stuff before I get a chance to close out the account. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/3 "2022-05-27T13:19:06Z")
Well, something is definitely amiss. Facebook wants customers like every other business, and they don’t ban people unless there is a definite problem. Maybe he did or didn’t cause it, but it exists for sure. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/4 "2022-05-27T13:23:33Z")
If his mobile number is relatively new to him, there’s a chance that the person who had it before was problematic on FB and they think it’s the same person. I’m not sure that someone else could have previously used his email to setup a FB profile. So if someone used [X@gmail.com](mailto:X@gmail.com) to setup a FB profile years ago, I would think that trying to setup a FB profile with the same [X@gmail.com](mailto:X@gmail.com) email today would cause FB to say that profile already exists. Even if they banned the account, I would assume they would save the fact that it was [X@gmail.com](mailto:X@gmail.com) rather than purge all the info. What he might want to do instead is to use a photo-sharing site for his photos and then ask a friend or relative on FB to share the link. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/5 "2022-05-27T13:25:57Z")
Facebook allows, or used to allow, you to set up a profile connected to an email address that isn’t yours. Every once in a while, I start getting messages on my non-Facebook email like “It looks like you’re having trouble logging in”, so I go to Facebook and reset the password for that account (which isn’t mine) – there are typically already pictures and a profile. If I can figure out how to contact the person, I’ll do that. Otherwise, I tell Facebook to close the account. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/6 "2022-05-27T13:26:11Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I think FB is just a vehicle for bragging. Well, now you’re challenging the basis for social media in general. 🧐 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/7 "2022-05-27T13:36:11Z")
Well, maybe not completely. I know FB can be great for keeping in touch with friends from the past and those who have moved away and such. I’m just not into posting all my travel picks and saying “hey, dig me. Look at the great vacation I’m having and you’re not!” “Now I’m checking in at a great restaurant and you’re not!” It’s just so much fluff. With all the places I’ve been to the pix would never end! Oops, is that bragging? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/8 "2022-05-27T14:04:19Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Facebook allows, or used to allow, you to set up a profile connected to an email address that isn’t yours. Yeah, I have no doubt of that. If they don’t send confirmation emails to the email address, then profiles can be created with random email addresses. However, I would think that rando’s profile would be linked to that email for all time in the future. So if the friend tried to create a profile with his email address of [pkbitesfriend@gmail.com](mailto:pkbitesfriend@gmail.com) and a rando had already used that email address, I would think FB would not allow a new profile to be created. It would say there’s already a profile setup for [pkbitesfriend@gmail.com](mailto:pkbitesfriend@gmail.com) and would allow him to recover it. If during the setup the friend ended up on some screens about recovering his password, then it would be likely that someone had previously created a profile using his email. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/9 "2022-05-27T14:14:43Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I think FB is just a vehicle for bragging. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > Well, now you’re challenging the basis for social media in general. I see no need to join Facebook so long as I have other social media platforms on which to brag about how I refuse to use social media platforms. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/10 "2022-05-27T14:43:43Z")
It could also be the name he used. They want all real names, and sometimes ask for IDs to verify that the name used isn’t made up. If you use something like “Mike YankeesSuck” you would likely get bounced. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/11 "2022-05-27T15:32:03Z")
But I know people that use all kind of goofy names on their FB. Close Clint Taurus, Jim Lickey, etc… And their real names are nowhere near those. What does FB care, anyway? Like I said, I don’t use it much, so I’m quite ignorant about their motivation. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/12 "2022-05-27T16:00:48Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > What does FB care, anyway? FB wants people to be people, not aliases. They only enforce it sporadically, but if it is brought to their attention they often follow up. Many names sneak past their automated rules. The more obvious the fake name, the more likely they are to hassle you. And since a lot of the people doing the follow up aren’t native English speakers, they can miss the bad puns. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/13 "2022-05-27T16:28:26Z")
> **[Names allowed on Facebook | Facebook Help Center](https://www.facebook.com/help/229715077154790)** > > Facebook is a community where everyone uses the name they go by in everyday life. > **[How Facebook’s real-name policy changed social media forever](https://www.protocol.com/policy/anonymity-real-names-jeff-kosseff)** > > The debate over anonymity extends to every corner of the internet, but may matter most on social networks. > **[Facebook real-name policy controversy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook_real-name_policy_controversy)** > > The Facebook real-name policy controversy is a controversy over social networking site Facebook's real-name system, which requires that a person use their legal name when they register an account and configure their user profile. The controversy stems from claims by some users that they are being penalized by Facebook for using their real names, and have suffered adverse consequences as a result. For example, Facebook's naming policies prohibit names that Facebook judges to have too many word As... ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/14 "2022-05-27T21:25:53Z")
I’m not a facebooker but how does facebook know you’re registering with your “real” name? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/15 "2022-05-27T21:30:12Z")
Is there a good reason why he’d ask you to post his vacation pictures? That seems odd. Since his family was pressuring him to set up an FB account, why can’t one of them post the pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/16 "2022-05-27T23:54:57Z")
Presumably, they have algorithms that look for obvious false names (like Mickey Mouse), swears, political messages, etc. If they get reports on people with otherwise “normal” names and they investigate enough to suspect something, they will ask for a license or other form of ID. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/17 "2022-05-28T01:08:48Z")
I wonder if facebook might have an issue with “Donald Mallard”? 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/18 "2022-05-28T03:43:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Is there a good reason why he’d ask you to post his vacation pictures? That seems odd. Since his family was pressuring him to set up an FB account, why can’t one of them post the pictures? Because FB keeps blocking him and he wants the pictures to go up real time. I told him he’s just going to have to annoy everyone with mass texts. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/19 "2022-05-28T10:54:11Z")
They also sporadically just ask them and their friends. I’ve gotten the message asking me if someone is using their real name–though it has been a while. And, yes, plenty of people would tell the truth. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212/20 "2022-05-28T11:01:56Z")
I’d suggest trying a different social media account. I would have suggested Instagram, which is **the** social media for photos, but that is also owned by Facebook. Probably the easiest alternative would be Twitter. Alternatively he could set up an account with completely different credentials, ie a different email address and sign up with an email on a desktop, not using your phone number, and with a different image with multiple people in it for his avatar. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-wtf-is-up-with-facebook-banning-people/965212.md?page=2)