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Does Facebook hate Linux? The social media site has been upsetting Linux fans for mysteriously taking down user posts mentioning the OS.
The problem came to light when DistroWatch, a site that covers the Linux ecosystem, brought up how the mysterious Facebook ban has been stymying discussion about the open-source OS.
“We've been hearing all week from readers who say they can no longer post about Linux on Facebook or share links to DistroWatch. Some people have reported their accounts have been locked or limited for posting about Linux,” the site wrote in Monday's newsletter.
“I just tried mentioning distrowatch on Facebook in Australia and it throws an error and won’t let me post. Wow,” wrote one user on Reddit last week.
A Facebook screenshot from DistroWatch says the deleted posts "may facilitate the sharing, creation or hosting of malicious software."
DistroWatch reached out to Facebook. But initially, the company refused to relent. “I've tried to appeal the ban and was told the next day that Linux-related material is staying on the cybersecurity filter. My Facebook account was also locked for my efforts,” DistroWatch wrote.
“The sad irony here is that Facebook runs much of its infrastructure on Linux and often posts job ads looking for Linux developers,” DistroWatch added.
It looks like the company has since reversed course. Today, Meta told PCMag: “This enforcement was in error and has since been addressed. Discussions of Linux are allowed on our services."
On Mastodon, DistroWatch says: "I've been told, but have been unable to confirm, that Facebook has lifted the ban on posting links to DistroWatch. (Which is great.) My personal FB account is still locked for trying to post a link to DistroWatch, but it seems like all the appeals/complaints worked."
Meta didn’t say what caused the crackdown in the first place. But the company has been revamping some of its content moderation and plans to replace its fact-checking methodology with a user-driven Community Notes, similar to X. “We’re also going to change how we enforce our policies to reduce the kind of mistakes that account for the vast majority of the censorship on our platforms,” the company said earlier this month, in another irony.
“Up until now, we have been using automated systems to scan for all policy violations, but this has resulted in too many mistakes and too much content being censored that shouldn’t have been,” Meta added in the same post.
About Our Expert
I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.
Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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