Meta’s growing crackdown on independent media – and why publishers must look beyond Facebook

In recent months a series of high‑profile incidents have shown how Meta can cripple independent newsrooms and journalists. The cases below illustrate a clear pattern: vague “account‑integrity” or “spam” violations, limited chances to appeal and a sudden loss of a vital traffic source.

Leicester Gazette’s election ban

The Leicester Gazette – an independent newspaper in Leicestershire – was abruptly blocked from Facebook for allegedly breaching Meta’s “account‑integrity” standards. The publisher received only a generic notice that the account “still doesn’t follow our Community Standards”. After sending a verification video, the ban became permanent and the outlet could not request another review.

The timing was especially damaging because the suspension arrived days before the Leicestershire County Council elections. Press Gazette’s reporting prompted Meta’s press office to intervene, and the page was eventually reinstated on 2 May 2025. The episode forced the Gazette to rethink its reliance on Facebook, prompting a shift toward newsletters, a membership drive and a broader diversification strategy.

Journalist Kate Faulkner’s personal account deactivated

KMFM newsreader Kate Faulkner posted a link to a Kent Police press release about a convicted sex offender. Within hours Meta disabled her personal Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts, citing “child sexual exploitation” violations.

While the station’s official KMFM page was restored after a rapid appeal, Faulkner’s personal appeal was denied, leaving her offline for nearly a week.

Faulkner said she felt deep distress – not only because she lost her communication tools but also because the action implied her name was linked to child‑exploitation content.

Content flagged as spam

Across the US, Europe and the UK, dozens of independent publishers reported that routine article links were flagged as “spam” and removed from Facebook. Outlets such as The Record‑Argus (Pennsylvania), wlkp24.info (Poland), Top Fight (Czech Republic) and Birkenhead News (UK) saw stories ranging from local politics to human‑interest pieces disappear without explanation.

The common thread is Meta’s automated spam filters, originally built to stop malicious campaigns, mistakenly targeting ordinary news content. Appeals often receive no response, leaving publishers without a clear way to fix the problem.

Referral traffic to almost 800 news websites from Facebook has fallen by 58% in the last six years, according to the latest Press Gazette analysis. In 2023 alone, the fall was 50%.

The solution: Decentralised social networks

These incidents expose a fundamental vulnerability: dependence on a single platform that can silence voices without transparency or accountability. Decentralised social networks – such as Mastodon, Pixelfed and other ActivityPub‑compatible services – offer an alternative where:

• Control rests with communities rather than a single company

• Moderation is transparent and governed by rules set by those who run the community

• Data ownership stays with the publisher, reducing the risk of arbitrary takedowns.

For newsrooms, moving to or adding these platforms can diversify traffic sources, safeguard editorial independence and rebuild trust with audiences wary of opaque gatekeepers.

How to get started

If you are a news publisher or journalist who has felt the impact of a sudden Facebook ban, consider these steps:

1. Set up a Mastodon instance (or join an existing one) to share article links

2. Upload visual content to Pixelfed to share your photojournalism

Or… Integrate RSS feeds from your site into these networks, creating automated bridges that keep your content flowing. Both Ghost and WordPress have plugins that allow you to do this.