Social media has become one of biggest marketing tools on the Internet with Facebook being at the forefront of this marketing revolution. There are however, guidelines and policies on how to use Facebook and when these are violated, you stand the chance of having your account blocked.

 7 reasons for being blocked by Facebook

Unstable IP address

User IP addresses used to login to Facebook accounts don’t often change and are recorded and saved by Facebook’s data system. This is why the Facebook system sees it as a red flag when IP addresses do change. Only using one IP address and avoiding the use of a free VPN systems is the best way to evade this issue.

Violation of Facebook polices

All social media have very specific policies which users agree to adhere to when signing up. Violation of these policies is a sure way to have your account blocked. Posting excessive promotional links is also seen as ‘spam’ and could also easily lead to a blocked account. Any type of advertising, promoting illegal content, unsolicited contact for dating, harassment cases or any other inappropriate conduct may lead to your account being temporarily or permanently disabled.

Inconsistent information

When using Facebook for advertising and promotional campaigns, a credit card is required. You will be unable to start any Facebook advertising campaigns without a credit card. Be sure to fill in the correct information in order to be registered.

More than one Facebook account

If your main purpose for using Facebook is to promote your business, your first step will be to create one personal profile. From here you will be able to create numerous pages linked to this profile. Creating more than one personal profile could also lead to your account being blocked. This is due to the behavioral patterns of spammers and hackers. Linking your phone to your Facebook account can serve as a fail-safe as well as  as extra security.

Adding too many friends in a short period of time

As with Weibo in China, Facebook recommends “people you may know” according to your existing friends list, habits or former workplaces. This is a very useful tool for connecting with other users but be warned, when sending or accepting a large amount of friend requests, you may receive warnings that “you are engaging in abusive behavior”, which is slightly ironic but important to note nonetheless. (Note that this is only applicable to personal accounts and not to users liking or following your business page/s)

Uploading too many photos and videos in a short time

Uploading a large amount of photos or videos in a short amount of time also stands the chance of being seen as spam and can result in your account being blocked. Using an online posting program such as Buffer or Hootsuite, allows you to schedule post so you don’t have to post it all at once.

7)  Being reported to Facebook by other users
Other user may report your account as a fake account or request Facebook to block the account. This does not happen with simply a single person’s view but only when there are numerous complaints. Reporting may happen because of running a fake account with a fake name, exhibiting abusive behavior by posting content that doesn’t follow the Facebook terms or by sending continuous friend request.

Can I unblock myself if my account is blocked by Facebook?

Facebook has a very comprehensive information site where you can get most of the answers to your questions. Want to know more about policies and what else Facebook offers, click on this link:www.facebook.com/help

 5 ways to unblock your account.
So what happens if you did violate Facebook policies and end up being kicked out of the Facebook kingdom? Here is a list of methods you can use:

• Unblock your account using your registration email or the phone number linked to your account.
• Answer the security questions such as identifying your friends or filling in your personal account information such as your name and birthday as it is on your account.
• If none of these options work, submit an appeal. Use your ID card passport driver’s license photo when submitting the appeal to can prove your identity (here is a step-by-step guide on submitting an appeal: https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Unblocked-on-Facebook)
  The link to for making an appeal is as follows: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/260749603972907

(4) Ask your friends connected on Facebook to help by following the steps below:

• On your preferred browser, open Facebook.com.
• Give the account details to log in.
• A security page will open, choose ‘GET help from friends’.
• A trusted contacts page will open up, choose a few friends who you know in person and who are in regular contact with you.
• Once finished, select on Continue.
• Facebook will transfer a security code to all the friends you chose.
• Next it will be your job to contact those friends, and ask them for the code they got from Facebook.
• Once you have received all the codes from your friends, use the code to unblock your Facebook account.
• Ask the Facebook Help Centre for assistance

Send an email explaining the details of your issue and attach a photo of ID card, your profile photo and a screen shot of the problem.

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