Facebook is currently dealing with a major issue that’s impacting thousands of group admins and regular users across the platform. Starting on June 24 or June 25 in some regions, many Facebook groups were suddenly suspended for allegedly violating the platform’s policy on dangerous organizations. These takedowns happened with no warning, no explanation, and no clear evidence. At the same time, a wave of security alerts hit group admins, forcing many to change their passwords, verify their identity, or go through recovery steps just to access their accounts. Some received alerts through Facebook itself, while others got text messages and WhatsApp messages, even if they hadn’t logged in from a new device or seen any suspicious activity.
This isn’t an isolated issue. It’s happening across every type of Facebook group from meme pages to hobby communities to large fan groups with hundreds of thousands of members. Admins are reporting that their groups disappeared while they were active in them. Some were immediately locked out of their accounts. In many cases, appeals are either not available or go unanswered. Some admins who did manage to appeal were told the suspension was a mistake, but their group still hasn’t returned. Others have been told nothing at all.
Facebook has yet to make any public statement explaining what’s going on, and users are left trying to piece things together themselves. Some have speculated that a backend issue or coordinated mass-reporting attack could be behind the problem. It’s still unclear whether this is an internal platform error or a case of outside abuse being misread by Facebook’s AI moderation systems.
Groups Flagged for Dangerous Content
Many suspended groups received notices stating they violated Facebook’s policy on “dangerous organizations and individuals.” These notices reference things like terrorism, organized crime, or inciting violence, even though the affected groups were often about completely unrelated topics.
Dangerous organizations and individuals
We don’t allow people to share or send symbols, glorification or support of people and organizations we define as dangerous.
Examples of things we don’t allow:
– Glorifying a terrorist attack
– Supporting violence against a particular group of people
– Supporting or promoting harmful criminal activity, like human traffickingYour freedom of expression
We want you to share freely with others. We only remove things or restrict people to keep the community respectful and safe.
Some groups have been restored, and admins were told the suspension was caused by an error in Facebook’s systems. Others remain stuck in review with no updates or access. In some cases, even linked pages and personal accounts tied to suspended groups were locked out or flagged as suspicious.
Admins Receive Account Security Alerts
While all of this was happening, many admins were also hit with Facebook security alerts. These messages claimed that someone might have accessed their account and that it had been locked for protection. This happened even if there were no signs of a breach or unauthorized login.
This is a Facebook security alert. We think your account was hacked. For next steps, open Facebook using the device you normally use.
On WhatsApp, Meta sent out similar messages:
This is a security alert from Facebook.
We think that someone may have accessed your Facebook account, so we’ve locked it to protect you.This means that no one can log in or view your Facebook profile.
So that we can guide you through what to do next, open Facebook, ideally on the device that you’d normally use.
Some users were required to change passwords or go through multi-step identity checks. Others were locked out with no recovery option. The timing of these alerts, coming right when group suspensions started, has raised suspicion that they may be connected.
Suspected Causes
- Malicious actors using bots to mass-report Facebook groups, triggering automated takedowns.
- AI moderation systems reacting to certain avatars, group names, or keywords, even when posted innocently or in context.
- Groups discussing sensitive political or social topics (such as Palestine, LGBTQ+, or feminism) being disproportionately affected.
Some of these conclusions come from group owners and admins comparing notes in real time, especially in places like Reddit. Affected regions include the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and many others. The affected group types vary widely, including parenting groups, tech help forums, and fandom pages.
Possible Connection to Recent Facebook Data Issues
Earlier this month, there were quiet reports of backend problems at Meta. Rumors pointed to a flawed system update or exposed API that may have caused mass login issues and possible content flagging. While Facebook has not confirmed any breach, several related bugs were noted by developers and tech observers during that same time. It’s unclear if the group suspensions are part of the same problem or just another symptom of a failing automated system.
User Confusion and Appeal Failures
Users trying to fix the situation are met with vague review messages or endless loops in the Help Center. Some admins get stuck in a review cycle that never resolves. Others are told their group is under review, but nothing happens. Even when Facebook admits their system made a mistake, some groups never return.
One pop culture fan group with more than 60,000 members was flagged for “terrorism-related content” even though nothing in the group fit that label. After a successful appeal, the group was restored without any clear explanation. Other admins in similar situations are still waiting or have been locked out completely.
What You Can Do
- Do not change or edit your group: Avoid posting, approving content, or modifying settings if your group is under review. This might make things worse.
- Submit a single appeal: If your group has a review option, use it. Avoid sending multiple appeals or messages, as this may flag the group again.
- Wait at least 24 to 72 hours: Some groups are being restored automatically without user action.
- Change your password: Even if you weren’t hacked, update your password and secure your account with two-factor authentication.
- Download your group data: If your group comes back, save everything important in case it’s taken down again.
This entire issue highlights just how broken Facebook’s systems are. Groups are being removed without cause, admins are being locked out, and nobody is getting answers. Appeals are hit or miss. Security alerts are being sent to people who never had a login issue. And meanwhile, people who spent years building their communities are left with nothing.
If your group was impacted, keep tracking your status, avoid unnecessary changes, and document everything. The issue is still active and may affect more users in the coming days. Facebook has said nothing, and it’s up to users to stay alert and protect their communities as best they can.
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