Facebook displays a standard notice when users try to view certain posts: “When this happens, it’s usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it’s been deleted.”
The message appears on individual post pages and links when the content is no longer accessible under the platform’s current settings or has been removed. The notice itself lists three common reasons for the restriction: a limited audience set by the poster, a change in who can see the post, or deletion of the post.
Facebook, which is owned by Meta Platforms, is one of the world’s largest social networks and offers users granular privacy controls that let them limit who can view their posts. Content that is deleted by its owner or restricted by privacy settings is no longer available to people outside the allowed audience. Platform moderation can also remove material, making it unavailable.
The notice highlights how online content can become inaccessible even when a link remains active, a factor that affects news reporting, public records and digital research. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
