The face of censorship on Facebook has shifted, at least in my experience.

 

Once, I frequently found myself exiled for 30-day stints—banished to “Facebook jail” for using strong words or phrases deemed inappropriate. It was a grim routine, serving a life sentence on the installment plan. During these stretches, I couldn’t wish friends a happy birthday, comment on posts, or even click “like.” It was an odd sort of social solitary confinement.

Those who know me understand that I am an unapologetic conservative with libertarian leanings. This alone was enough to rattle Facebook’s censors. Yet, something changed. I haven’t seen the inside of Facebook jail in over a year. Oddly, this coincided with Twitter’s transformation into X under its new ownership. I want to be clear: I haven’t altered the tone or nature of my posts. I still say what I believe, whether the censors like it or not.

Perhaps Facebook realized that silencing too many of its users hurts its bottom line. When large numbers of members are locked out, traffic dwindles, and advertisers lose their precious audience. Could this shift be a business decision rather than a moral epiphany? I wonder if others have noticed the same pattern. If you have, share your thoughts in the comments below.