Marijuana-related companies, regulators and trade groups around the globe recently stopped appearing in Facebook searches, becoming casualties in what appears to be the social media platform’s latest attempt to filter results related to “marijuana” and “cannabis.”
The phenomenon is known as “shadow banning,” in which posts on an online social community such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram become invisible to users searching for them.
Facebook, to be sure, has shuttered thousands of pages belonging to cannabis businesses and related entities over the years.
But the social media giant also allows MJ businesses and related entities to maintain pages – provided they don’t violate the platform’s community standards.
That’s why the latest developments are raising alarm bells among MJ companies. Many rely on Facebook to engage with consumers and educate people about marijuana and MJ products.