Facebook's Pay-to-Spam Hypocrisy: When Your Own Content Becomes 'Spam' Until You Pay Up
Episode #24 of Discussions with Robert Simmons & Rita Fox
The Setup That'll Make Your Blood BoilPicture this: You own a verified Facebook page. You've built a loyal following of people who CHOSE to follow you because they want your content. You post your show schedules, artist lineups, and station updates - you know, the exact content your followers signed up for.
But Facebook slaps a "spam prevention" warning on YOUR posts to YOUR followers on YOUR page.
The kicker? Facebook immediately offers to "fix" this "spam problem" - for a fee.
The Hypocrisy That's Breaking Independent MediaIn this explosive episode of Discussions, Robert Sommins and Rita Fox tackle the elephant in the room that every content creator is dealing with but nobody's talking about openly - Facebook's blatantly hypocritical "spam prevention" policies.
Here's the insanity broken down:
- Content posted to people who specifically requested it = SPAM
- The exact same content pushed to random people who didn't ask for it = ADVERTISING GOLD
Pay to boost the post, and suddenly that same "spam" content is perfectly fine to blast to complete strangers who never asked for it.
What Robert & Rita Uncover The Definition FlipHow the same content magically transforms from "spam" to "advertising" based on payment
The Audience Hostage SituationYour followers chose to follow you, but can't see your content without you paying Facebook
Small Business DestructionHow this disproportionately hurts independent creators vs. major corporations who can afford the tolls
The Bigger PictureWhat this means for platform dependency and content creator freedom
The Real Impact on Independent RadioAs owner of Discover YOU RADIO, Will Stenner experiences this firsthand. When trying to share programming schedules and artist features with loyal listeners who specifically followed the page for these updates, Facebook's algorithm decides it's "spam" - unless he pays to reach his own audience.
"These people followed my page for a reason. If they feel spammed, all they have to do is shut off notifications or unfollow. This is complete exploitation on Facebook's behalf. It seems to be an unethical practice and it feels like a communistic move. My freedom of speech being stripped away but I can have it for a fee."
The Questions That Need Answers- Is this the new normal for content creators?
- Are we really okay with platforms charging us to talk to our own audiences?
- What does this mean for the future of independent media?
- How do we break free from platform dependency?
With Meta removing over 10 million accounts in the first half of 2025 for "spam prevention" while simultaneously pushing their paid boost model harder than ever, this conversation couldn't be more timely. Every independent creator, small business owner, and content producer needs to understand what's really happening behind the scenes.
Listen NowThis isn't just another tech rant - it's a deep dive into how platform policies are reshaping the media landscape and what it means for creators trying to build authentic communities.
Available on:
Join the DiscussionWhat's your experience with Facebook's "spam prevention" policies? Have you been forced to pay to reach your own followers? Share your story in the comments below or reach out to us directly.
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- Website: discoveryouradio.com
- Facebook: @DiscoverYOURADIO
- Want to leave Robert or Rita a comment send them an email here.
- Robert Simmons Robert@discoveryouradio.com
- Rita Fox Rita@discoveryouradio.com
Discussions is a weekly podcast featuring deep dives into the ever-evolving radio and music industry, highlighting new emerging artists and the challenges facing independent media. Hosted by Robert Simmons and Rita Fox on Discover YOU RADIO.
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