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Facebook censors Linux posts, calls FOSS project "cybersecurity threat" with mysterious inconsistency

Facebook posts referencing Linux get banned for cybersecurity risks
Posts to Facebook referencing Linux have seemingly been getting banned for cybersecurity reasons. (Image source: Deeksha Pahariya on Unsplash / Larry Ewing, Simon Budig, Garrett LeSage via Wikimedia Commons)
Facebook's parent company, Meta, has blocked posts mentioning Linux, citing cybersecurity concerns. Meta confirmed after manual review that Linux is on the list of cybersecurity-related topics, and it will seemingly remain so until further notice.

With the Valve Steam Deck picking up steam over the last few years, discussions about Linux have never been more popular among PC gamers, and Facebook — along with its parent company, Meta — apparently won't let those discussions take place. 

According to DistroWatch, a popular website that covers a variety of Linux-related topics, a ban on Facebook posts referencing or mentioning Linux. After DistroWatch appealed its removed posts, Facebook reviewed the affected posts and refused to restore them. A subsequent post from Tom's Hardware indicates that it is not just DistroWatch that appears to be restricted from making posts mentioning Linux topics. Other communities and pages have apparently been shut down, with some even reporting that their personal accounts have been taken down as a result of posting about the same. 

The supposed reason for the removal of Linux-related content is that it "may facilitate the sharing, creation or hosting of malicious content." While it initially seemed as though Linux posts would continue to be banned, a number of posts have appeared on the DistroWatch Facebook page since the January 20 banning. We also crudely tested the censorship by creating a public post containing both a DistroWatch link and "Linux" as a keyword, and the post was not removed. At this stage, it is thus unclear what has triggered the series of bans and post removals. 

Almost comically, this news comes just weeks after Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media platform would be loosening its content moderation rules to allow for discussion of more “controversial topics.” 

This is what Meta's community standards page says about "malicious software" and similar issues: 

We do not allow:

Attempts to compromise or access accounts via unauthorised means, including

Accessing accounts, profiles or other Meta, Inc., entities other than one's own through deceptive means or without explicit permission from the account, profile or entity owner.

Obtaining, acquiring or requesting another user's login information, personal information or other sensitive user information for the purpose of unauthorised access, including through the following tactics:

Phishing, defined as the practice of creating communications or websites that are designed to look like more trusted or reputable communications or websites for the purpose of fraudulently acquiring sensitive user information.

Social engineering, such as repeated or consistent attempts to harvest or acquire the answers to common account or password recovery questionsMalware, Greyware, Spyware or other malicious code, as described below.

Attempts to share, develop, host or distribute malicious or harmful code, including:

Encouraging or deceiving users to download or run files, apps or programs that will compromise a user's online or data security, including, but not limited toMalware, defined as code or software designed to harm or gain unauthorised access to systems. This includes programs designed to harm computer systems, as well as software designed to extract money from victims, such as ransomware.

Spyware, defined as code or software that collects data on users and sends it to third parties without the informed consent of the user or that uses the data for illicit purposes (e.g. sextortion, blackmail, illicit access to systems)

Greyware, defined as code or software which detracts from the use of hardware or software and may be difficult to remove from a computer system or network

Creating, sharing or hosting malicious software, including browser extensions and mobile applications, on or off the platform that put our users or products and services at riskSharing or advertising software or products that enable people to circumvent security systems, including software that encourages hacking of software, passwords or credentials

Providing online infrastructure, including web hosting services, domain name system servers and ad networks that enables abusive links such that a majority of those links on Facebook or Instagram violate the spam or cybersecurity sections of the Community Standards.

It's unclear whether posts by DistroWatch have violated any of these Meta community standards, but none of the recent posts stand out as particularly harmful, at face value

Source(s)

DistroWatch, Tom's Hardware

Teaser image: Deeksha Pahariya on Unsplash, Larry Ewing, Simon Budig, Garrett LeSage via Wikimedia Commons

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 01 > Facebook censors Linux posts, calls FOSS project "cybersecurity threat" with mysterious inconsistency
Julian van der Merwe, 2025-01-29 (Update: 2025-01-29)