Facebook is being accused of censoring posts about Linux, including banning any that mention DistroWatch.com, citing “cybersecurity threats” of all things.
Linux is the most popular operating systems for data centers, web servers, cloud platforms, and other servers. The OS is also growing on the desktop, closing in on 5% market share. For perspective, Linux has roughly the same share of the desktop market as Apple had in 2009.
Despite its popularity, and despite the fact that Facebook’s entire infrastructure is powered by Linux, Facebook is apparently labeling Linux as malware, banning posts, and taking a hostile approach to Linux user groups.
DistroWatch—a popular site that tracks the popularity of various Linux distros and provides information about the software they contain—discussed the development in a post on its site.
Starting on January 19, 2025 Facebook’s internal policy makers decided that Linux is malware and labelled groups associated with Linux as being “cybersecurity threats”. Any posts mentioning DistroWatch and multiple groups associated with Linux and Linux discussions have either been shut down or had many of their posts removed.
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 sad irony here is that Facebook runs much of its infrastructure on Linux and often posts job ads looking for Linux developers.
Unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do about this, apart from advising people to get their Linux-related information from sources other than Facebook. 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.
The site says users should rely on its RSS news feeds, its weekly newsletters, as well as its new Mastodon account.
The bigger issue is why Facebook is suddenly treating one of the most important operating systems as malware and blocking links to a legitimate, informative website.
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