Rules · organic content

What passes and what comes down on Instagram and Facebook

The ten topics behind most takedowns, and what the safe version of the same content looks like. Almost everywhere, what helps is clear context, a warning on sensitive content and the rights to what you use.

Why these rules exist

  • Audience safety: platforms limit traumatic, hateful and deceptive content because they host people of every age.
  • Law and regulation: Meta follows European and local rules on child protection, copyright and online services.
  • Advertiser trust: monetization is steadier around content that carries no risk.
  • Algorithmic distribution: the rules are built into recommendations, so low-risk content simply reaches further.

How they are enforced

  • A mix of automated detection, user reports and human moderators.
  • Measures run from labels and demotion, through removal and temporary limits, to strikes and blocking for repeat cases.
  • Borderline posts often pass automatically, but a few reports and a human review can still take them down after the fact.

The golden rule: context, warning, rights

Most borderline cases come down to three questions. Have I explained why I am showing this? Have I warned people if it is heavy? Do I have the right to use this visual and this music?

01

Violence and graphic content

Community Standards: Violent and Graphic Content; Violence and Incitement

Bloody and traumatic scenes, praise of violence, credible threats. Graphic means open wounds, severe injuries, dead bodies and close-ups of violence, including footage taken right after an incident or crime.

What gets it taken down

  • Raw footage with no warning.
  • Headlines that sell the shock, along the lines of 'watch the most brutal…'.

Do this instead

  • In a news or educational context, blur and crop the worst of it.
  • State the purpose (information or help) without glorifying the violence.
  • Put a warning in the caption and link to a resource if the topic calls for it.

Before

A reel with a close-up of an injury captioned 'watch this bloody video!'

After

Blurred footage plus first-aid steps, captioned '⚠️ Sensitive content. Here is how to help at an accident,' with a link to resources.

Before you publish

  • Are there graphic scenes I can blur or crop?
  • Is there a warning in the first lines of the caption?
  • Does the tone describe rather than glorify?
02

Hateful conduct and harassment

Community Standards: Hateful Conduct; Bullying and Harassment

Slurs and dehumanization aimed at groups by race, gender, religion, nationality, disability or orientation, plus coordinated harassment of a specific person.

What gets it taken down

  • Calling a group 'animals', 'vermin' or 'inferior', or comparing them to disease and filth.
  • Calls for exclusion, sweeping generalizations and stereotypes by protected characteristic.
  • Mocking an accent, a physical trait or impersonations that ridicule a group.

Do this instead

  • Criticize an action or a policy, not a whole group of people.
  • On news, state the facts in a neutral tone, without epithets.
  • Plan moderation: hiding and limiting hostile comments.

Before

A graphic with an insulting claim about an entire group.

After

A carousel arguing against the specific policy, with facts and sources, plus moderation in the comments.

Before you publish

  • Am I criticizing ideas and actions instead of people?
  • Do I have a plan for who clears the comments, and when?
03

Nudity and sexual content

Community Standards: Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity

Pornography, fetish content and any sexualization of minors, where tolerance is zero. Also risky: shots focused on intimate areas, low angles, wet or see-through clothing, and gestures with an explicit sexual undertone.

What gets it taken down

  • Close-ups of genitals, buttocks or breasts, including through see-through fabric.
  • Rhythmic movements and gestures that mimic a sexual act, plus NSFW hashtags.
  • Slowly zooming toward an intimate area and holding the shot there.

Do this instead

  • A medium or wider shot with a neutral pose and movement.
  • Swimwear and sportswear in a fitting context such as the beach, the gym or dance, without provocative framing.
  • For art, fashion or medical topics: silhouette, distance, a discreet shot and an explanation in the caption.
  • Breastfeeding and postpartum topics are allowed when the context is clearly stated.

Before

A close-up shot captioned 'Hot drop…' with NSFW hashtags.

After

A medium shot focused on the styling, captioned 'Workout outfit ideas — 3 tips for comfort'.

Before you publish

  • Are there sexualized details in the frame or in the hashtags?
  • Can I make the same point with a more discreet shot?
04

Dangerous organizations and symbols

Community Standards: Dangerous Organizations and Individuals

Propaganda and praise, calls to join, links for recruiting members or funds. High-risk visuals include extremist flags and emblems, Nazi symbols, numeric codes used by such groups and uniforms of banned formations.

What gets it taken down

  • Praise along the lines of 'heroes' and 'support them'.
  • Memes with logos or leaders framed positively.
  • Instructions on how to join or donate.

Do this instead

  • For news or educational topics, cover or replace the symbols.
  • Use neutral illustrations and maps instead of logos and portraits.
  • Add a clear disclaimer that the content is informational and does not endorse the organization.

Before

A collage with an extremist emblem and a positive caption.

After

An explainer graphic on what happened and why it is dangerous, with neutral icons, sources and a disclaimer.

Before you publish

  • Is the tone descriptive and critical?
  • Are there no calls to join or support?
05

Self-injury and dangerous challenges

Community Standards: Suicide and Self-Injury

Encouraging, coordinating or instructing on self-injury, suicide, eating disorders or risky challenges.

What gets it taken down

  • Demonstrating how a dangerous stunt is done.
  • Joining a trend that carries a health risk, with no warning.

Do this instead

  • Speak preventively: why it is unsafe and what can go wrong.
  • Add where someone can find support.
  • Offer safe alternatives to the trend.

Before

A short demonstrating a risky challenge, captioned 'try this!'

After

A short that warns 'this is dangerous because X' and offers three safe alternatives, with a link to support resources.

Before you publish

  • Are there no instructions or encouragement toward harm?
  • Is there information on where to get help?
06

Scams and spam

Community Standards: Spam

Content that deceives or overwhelms people to inflate views artificially: 'easy money', fake giveaways, mass mentions and copy-paste comments.

What gets it taken down

  • Promises of doubling money and 'profit with no effort'.
  • Fake giveaways 'for everyone, just DM me'.
  • The same comment posted under dozens of posts.

Do this instead

  • Real offers with clear terms, a deadline and a link to the full rules.
  • A sensible number of tags and meaningful, personalized comments.

Before

'Today only — send me an amount and I return double.'

After

'Promo code XXX gives 10% off until Friday. Full terms: link.'

Before you publish

  • Is the offer verifiable and fully described?
  • Is there no mass tagging or repeated commenting?
07

Misinformation

Community Standards: Misinformation

False claims on high-risk topics (health, elections, safety), especially where they can lead to direct physical harm.

What gets it taken down

  • Strong health claims with no source, for example that something 'cures' a condition.
  • Claims about elections and public processes without an official source.

Do this instead

  • Cite reliable sources and link them.
  • Separate personal experience from medical advice.
  • If you get it wrong, publish a correction instead of going quiet.

Before

'This tea cures gastritis.'

After

'Personal experience; not medical advice. Here is what the research says: link.'

Before you publish

  • Do I have a source for every factual claim?
  • Am I ready to publish a correction if I am wrong?
08

Copyright: music, video, photos, logos

Help Center: Intellectual Property

Third-party assets you have no right to use, such as music, video, photos, logos and trademarks.

What gets it taken down

  • A popular track ripped from another platform.
  • Someone else's video or logo in the thumbnail with no connection to the topic.

Do this instead

  • Music from the in-app library or a licensed platform.
  • Your own footage or written permission from the author.
  • Credit the author and the license where that is required.

Before

A reel using a chart hit without a license, over someone else's clips.

After

A reel with your own footage and a track from the library, crediting the author in the caption.

Before you publish

  • Can I prove my right to use this asset?
  • Have I credited the author and license where needed?
09

Restricted goods

Community Standards: Restricted Goods and Services

Promoting or trading weapons, drugs, tobacco products, anabolics and other regulated goods.

What gets it taken down

  • 'Here is how to…' instructions tied to a banned or regulated product.
  • Any encouragement to buy or use.

Do this instead

  • If the topic is news or education, stay informational.
  • Explain the risks and the legal framework, without a promotional tone.

Before

A story showing the product, captioned 'get yours now'.

After

An explainer graphic on what the rules say and what the legal risks are, in a neutral tone.

Before you publish

  • Is there any sale or encouragement in the post?
  • Is the tone informational rather than promotional?
10

Children and teenagers

Community Standards: Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Nudity

Anything that exploits or endangers children, including sexualization and exposure of personal data. Platforms also remove photos of nude children shared with good intentions, because of the risk of misuse.

What gets it taken down

  • Provocative or risky scenes involving children, including jokes with a double meaning.
  • Showing a school, an address or other identifying details.

Do this instead

  • Parental consent before a child appears on camera.
  • Discreet shots with no emphasis on sensitive details.
  • Blur faces and locations where needed.

Before

An identifiable child in a risky context, with the location tagged.

After

A family scene focused on the activity, with no precise location and blurring where needed.

Before you publish

  • Do I have parental consent where it is needed?
  • Have I protected the child's identity and safety?

If a measure lands anyway

  1. 1

    Screenshot the notification before it disappears from your notifications.

  2. 2

    Save the removed post and the context around it (comments, date, campaign).

  3. 3

    Check Account Quality for a strike, a label or a limit.

  4. 4

    Describe the case and send the materials for an assessment of the next step.

The advertising rules Sanctions reference

Unban Solutions is not affiliated with Meta, TikTok or any other platform. This guide follows publicly published policies, which change over time. Not legal advice.

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