In recent weeks, many responsible dog breeders have reported having their Facebook posts removed, particularly those promoting puppies for sale.
Lots of messages have been posted on the platform and other social media sites such as reddit.
This has caused frustration among breeders who are transparent and ethical in their practices, as they feel they are being penalised for the unethical behaviour of others. However, this isn’t a new issue, Facebook has long had policies prohibiting the sale of animals between private individuals.
But the question remains: why hasn’t this been more closely monitored until now, and why the sudden crackdown?
We have asked Meta, Facebooks parent company for information and will update the article should they reply.
Facebook’s (Meta) Stance on Animal Sales
Their policy clearly states “Commerce content may not promote the buying, selling or trading of animals or animal products, or land in ecological conservation areas”.
This includes:
- Medicines, medical devices and veterinary services
- Any product or part from dogs, cats, or endangered or threatened animals such as leather, skin, hide, fur, wool or hair
- Animal parts, including, but not limited to, bone, teeth, horn, ivory, taxidermy, organs, external limbs, secretions or carcasses
- Some products from animals intended for consumption, such as raw fish, meat or eggs
- Live animals including livestock and pets
In 2020, as part of a BBC investigation, Facebook stated:
“We do not allow the sale of animals between private individuals on Facebook, including in groups, and we remove content that violates these policies when we become aware of it.”
A spokesperson added, “We are investigating the content flagged to us and will continue to remove posts that break these rules and take action against groups who repeatedly break our policies.”
This policy was introduced to combat unethical practices such as puppy farming and backyard breeding. While this is a commendable goal, it also raises questions about the effectiveness of its enforcement. For years, breeders and welfare groups have flagged posts promoting questionable practices, and yet many remained online. Why has this not been monitored more closely?
Why the Sudden Crackdown?
Metas recent actions seem to reflect a stronger commitment to enforcing its rules. However, this has left many ethical breeders caught in the crossfire. Posts that don’t explicitly sell animals but show responsible breeding practices have also been flagged or removed.
This has created confusion and anger within the responsible breeding community.
The timing of this crackdown is also puzzling. It could be related to increasing pressure from animal welfare organisations or a broader effort to tighten compliance with policies in general. However, without transparency from Meta, breeders are left wondering why this issue has suddenly been escalated after years of inconsistent enforcement.
Challenging Blanket Policies
The blanket nature of Meta’s policy highlights a broader issue but not something that the company beleive they need delve more deeping into. Banning animal sales completely can prevent any complicated verfication issues and also releive pressure from animal groups.
However, for responsible breeders, platforms like Facebook provide a way to connect with prospective owners, share updates, and educate the public about their practices.
When these posts are removed or accounts restricted, it hinders transparency and pushes legitimate breeders further into the shadows.
Questons we have asked Facebook (Meta)
To address these concerns, We asked Meta to consider the following:
1. Provide clearer guidelines on what is and isn’t allowed, and offer support to ethical breeders who comply with regulations.
2.How can monitoring be improved, would they be willing to work with with breed clubs, welfare organisations, and responsible breeder networks to identify and remove genuinely harmful posts while protecting ethical breeders.
3. Share more information about the reasoning behind enforcement actions, are they algorthmic (automated) in a way Google verify policy violations and provide a way for breeders to appeal or clarify flagged posts.
Facebook’s policy on animal sales has long been a point of contention. While it aims to protect animal welfare, its sudden and inconsistent enforcement raises questions about fairness and effectiveness.
For responsible breeders, this isn’t just a platform issue, it’s a barrier to transparency and ethical practices and this is one the reasons we must work together.
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