Meta Cracks Down on Spammy Facebook Posts and Hashtag Abusers in Major Update

Meta is taking a firm stand against low-quality, manipulative content overwhelming Facebook. On Thursday, April 24, the technology giant announced new enforcement actions to restrict reach and de-monetize accounts that are gaming the platform's algorithm using spammy posts, deceptive captions, and abusive hashtags.

What's more important is that this is part of Meta's larger effort to increase genuine engagement and enhance user experience on Facebook.

Cracking Down on Algorithm Gamers

Meta Cracks Down on Spammy Facebook Posts and Hashtag Abusers

Facebook's algorithm is built to bring up interesting and pertinent content. However, some authors have been taking advantage of the system by creating wordy posts full of hashtags or putting in deceptive titles entirely unrelated to their pictures.

Meta posted examples like an image of a dog with a caption regarding airplane facts or long car descriptions filled with hashtags like #VIRALCONTENT and #LIKEFORLIKE. These strategies work to artificially inflate reach, but no longer.

Furthermore, this will restrict these accounts' content to "followers only" and strip them of their monetization privileges, essentially removing the incentive for spamming.

Targeting Spam Networks and Fake Engagement

In addition to individual posts, Meta is also targeting entire spam networks. According to The Verge, accounts discovered making hundreds of duplicate accounts to promote the same spam message will be penalized with loss of reach and monetization eligibility.

Also, Facebook will decrease the visibility of comments marked as "coordinated fake engagement," like artificially inflated likes or responses. Meta's new tools are designed to automatically detect these patterns.

New Tools for Users and Page Owners

To empower users and page admins, Facebook is piloting a button that allows users to report unnecessary or misleading comments. Behind the scenes, page owners will receive access to moderation tools for automatically hiding comments from accounts suspected of trolling or impersonation.

These updates come on the heels of Facebook's new Friends-only feed, which reduces algorithm-based content in favor of posts from personal friends.

Legitimate creators should take Meta's changes to heart: prioritize quality, relevance, and authenticity. Spamming the audience or even engagement in a bid for reach or views can now rebound and jeopardize visibility and revenue.

In late March, Meta toured Facebook users through the nostalgic Friends Tab feature. It's an original feature ditched to pave the way for the new UI.