You are not alone: Facebook spammed by peculiar activity

Something strange is going on with spam on Facebook, currently one of the most used social media platforms in the world.

The weirdest thing about it: this new wave isn’t like the more ‘usual’ spam that people have grown accustomed to seeing.

While the fight against spammers using fake profiles, phishing links, and highly dubious ads has long been waged by Facebook, people are reporting stranger, bizarre forms of spam showing up on feeds.

A New Type of Spam: What’s So Different?

Traditional spam on the social network comes in waves: clickbait headlines, scam advertisements, links to phishing sites.

This new wave of spam, however, is weirder and far harder to categorise. Users are reporting nonsensical messages and cryptic symbols, but even posts that seem completely out of context for Facebook. Examples of these new types of spam posts include the following:

• Nonsensical, or random, strings of text or symbols that seem to make no sense

• Posts which allude to wild, implausible conspiracy theories.

• Irrelevant images or memes placed in the middle of serious group discussions.

• Unusual offerings or products, which seem completely out of place, such as weird

• investments or too-good-to-be-true deals with little explanation.

Using unpredictable patterns, churning out more random postings that don’t fit traditional spam’s mold, hence making them a little tougher for automated systems to spot and block.

Though robust, moderation tools at Facebook depend on detecting spam patterns largely. These bizarre postings fall outside those patterns and, therefore, take a longer time to be picked up and removed.

Why Are Users Concerned?

Much of this new spam is harmless or nonsensical, but there are an increasing number of people who are concerned about its effect.

Others are afraid that the rise of spam means more advanced attacks or scams will follow. While most of the messages do not include malicious links, they more often manage to break up legitimate discussions on Facebook groups or public pages. Sometimes, spammers use subtle tactics in order to lure users into engaging with the content and expose them to more serious threats down the line.

Besides, the permanent flow of strange and off-topic posts is overwhelming for group moderators and page admins, keeping the discussions relevant and safe.

Responding to the Surge

It is here that the problem has been identified at Meta-led Facebook. The platform is trying to adapt to this new spam trend by updating its algorithms to catch such unusual posts more effectively. A spokesperson for Facebook says its systems are constantly being developed and improved in response to emerging threats; however, their sophistication and ever-evolving nature mean it’s a constant fight to stay one step ahead of spammers.

It now wants the users to help in weeding out spam by making use of the reporting tools inbuilt into the site. When users flag suspicious content, it helps Facebook in refining its systems and limits the spread of disruptive or dangerous material.

How Users Can Protect Themselves

Amid the rise in spam, here are a few ways the users of the social networking giant can protect themselves from falling victim to potential scams or malicious posts. Here are the following important steps:

Report spam posts: One should avail the facility provided by Facebook to report spam content. This will help the social networking site become more proficient in identifying spam patterns.

Be careful about strange links: Never click on links that may appear suspicious or from unknown sources, even if these show up in your feed through valid groups or posts by your friends.

Check your Group Settings: Admins and moderators should go through their settings to make sure posting is limited only to the members within or at least to verified users. This would minimize the amount of spam that gets through.

Stay updated about the latest in Security Best Practices: Facebook continuously updates its privacy and security settings. Users should make it a point to leverage the latest tools to keep their accounts safe.

The onus will fall on users to remain vigilant and take precautions to safeguard their interactions online as Facebook continues working to overcome this thorn. The ongoing struggle with spammers speaks volumes about the challenges of content moderation on such an immense, dynamic platform where bad actors are always moving their strategies around.

Reporting by Emmanuel Quaicoe in Accra

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