Meta is addressing the “unfortunate reality” of spammy content with new moderation tactics

After enduring years of complaints, Meta is trying to do something about spammy posts on Facebook. A blog post revealed ongoing and upcoming steps Meta is taking to address spam that manipulates recommendation algorithms to show up uninvited in users’ feeds.

Last year, social media users and media outlets noticed a concerning rise in the number of spammy posts that show up in individuals’ Facebook feeds. That type of content is not merely an annoyance; it’s also a hindrance for authentic creators who are trying to break out on a noisy platform.

“Some accounts try to game the Facebook algorithm to increase views, reach a higher follower count faster, or gain unfair monetization advantages,” reads the post. “While the intentions are not always malicious, the result is spammy content in Feed that crowds out authentic creator content.”

Meta’s ongoing investment in generative AI has emboldened accounts that spam social media feeds. While generative AI tools possess significant creative potential, they also encourage the proliferation of so-called “AI slop” — low-effort posts that often target kids.

AI is an important part of Meta’s future, but so are humans. Mark Zuckerberg and co. are reviving bygone features like the Friends feed to bring back the community spirit that made OG Facebook so thrilling. The hope is to build an ecosystem that works for individual creators and generative AI models alike.

That’s where the company’s latest moderation efforts come into play. Accounts utilizing “long, distracting captions” that are “completely unrelated to the content” will be stripped of monetization. To address the “unfortunate reality” of spam content that engineers “fake engagement” — i.e. through tactics that artificially inflate reach — Meta will de-rank offending comments and posts.

Accounts that impersonate other creators are also in Meta’s crosshairs. The tech giant said that it removed 23 million profiles for unauthorized mimicry in 2024, and there’s “more to be done” on that front this year.

Meta’s fight against spammy content is admirable, but its moderators should keep in mind that attempts to clean up a platform can sometimes cause collateral damage. Creators who endured YouTube’s adpocalpyse learned that truth firsthand. Here’s hoping that Meta is able to root out the spam that infests its platforms without rankling too many users along the way.