Zhanna Baitelova’s Facebook account at risk of being blocked

Journalist Zhanna Baitelova has reported that Facebook has removed several of her posts following copyright complaints, putting her account at risk of being blocked. In her blog, Baitelova regularly writes about pressure on independent media and journalists, as well as other issues of public interest.

According to the journalist, Facebook began removing posts that she had shared on her page. These included reposts of materials by Lukpan Akhmedyarov, Aizhan Khamit, Raul Uporov, and other authors. Screenshots shared by Baitelova show that several posts were removed on 28 and 29 August with the label “Copyright.”

“It looks like they are trying to take down my page. Fake accounts posing as my friends have filed copyright complaints against me,” the journalist wrote.

Baitelova says the complaints were allegedly submitted on behalf of the original authors of the posts, but from email addresses that do not belong to them. The authors themselves have already stated that they did not contact Meta or request the removal of her posts.

The journalist also noted that the removals have not been limited to social and political content.

“Since when does Meta consider reposts a copyright violation? This is dangerous because your page can be blocked over multiple alleged infringements,” Baitelova said.

A series of complaints submitted from different email addresses in the names of people who deny any involvement may indicate coordinated action targeting the journalist’s account. At the same time, questions remain about how Meta verifies the identities of complainants and their rights to the content before removing posts.