11/11/2024
My Open Letter to Facebook: Challenges Faced by Long-Form Content Creators Under New Policies
Dear Facebook Team,
I want to take a moment to share some challenges I and many other creators have been facing due to recent changes on the platform. Facebook has been a transformative platform for me personally. From borrowing a roommate’s phone to record my first videos to now managing a full production setup with a dedicated team of over 28 staff members who rely on this work to support themselves and their families. Through Facebook, we have not only created job opportunities but also shared impactful stories that have inspired real change in society.
However, the recent shift in Facebook’s policies, especially towards prioritizing short-form content, inconsistent enforcement of content guidelines, and the changes in monetization models, have made it difficult for creators like us to continue thriving. Here are the key issues, along with real-life examples to illustrate how these policies are affecting us, I hope this letter will offer some perspective on the importance of revisiting some of these policies.
1. Prioritization of Short-Form Content Over Long-Form Storytelling
Facebook’s current focus on short-form videos (like Reels) is challenging for creators who focus on storytelling, documentaries, and educational content. Short videos can be fun, but they limit the ability to share detailed narratives or educate the audience on complex topics. It’s discouraging to see videos with very little substance, like someone combing their hair, gathering 25 million views, while a creator who spent time, money, and effort on a meaningful 20-minute documentary struggles to reach even 50,000 views.
Long-form content requires effort, creativity, and expertise to produce. For creators focusing on documentaries, educational content, and storytelling, the platform’s shift towards short videos is stifling their ability to engage audiences meaningfully.
Example: A 20-minute video exploring the causes and impacts of a local environmental crisis requires time to develop and share a compelling narrative. But on a platform now rewarding short, catchy clips, this content has little chance to thrive. As creators, we are discouraged from producing impactful work if it won’t reach people.
2. Inconsistent Enforcement of Community Guidelines
Another challenge that many creators, including myself, encounter is the inconsistent enforcement of Facebook’s community guidelines. Videos are sometimes flagged or taken down for reasons that seem arbitrary, while similar content from other creators remains active. This inconsistency leads to frustration, as we feel that the rules are not applied fairly, making it hard to understand what is acceptable and what is not.
Example: A creator might have a video taken down due to a brief scene of violence in a movie review, while other videos with similar content remain untouched. This inconsistent approach creates an environment of uncertainty, making us feel that we’re penalized unpredictably.
3. Vague and Unclear Policies
Facebook’s policies often lack clarity, making it difficult for creators to know what is considered acceptable content. When videos are flagged, creators receive generic messages like “this content may go against our guidelines” without a clear explanation of what part of the content is problematic. This vague feedback doesn’t help creators learn from their mistakes and adjust their content.
Example:
A video discussing mental health was flagged under “content related to self-harm,” but no specific details were provided. Without clear guidance, it’s challenging to know how to improve or adjust the content to meet Facebook’s standards. This makes it challenging to address sensitive topics while staying within Facebook’s guidelines, as we don’t know how to improve or adjust our content.
4. Lack of an Appeal Process and Limited Review Options
I understand that Facebook uses robots and AI to help maintain community guidelines, but sometimes they make mistakes. When videos are flagged, Facebook doesn’t provide an option for review; instead, we’re given only two choices: delete the post or change the page admins. This lack of a review process makes us feel powerless, as we have no way to correct any misunderstandings.
On YouTube, for example, they clearly show you the exact part of the video that needs revision, allowing creators to take down the video, edit the specific part, and reupload it. This system is fair and helps creators resolve issues while preserving their work. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t offer such a clear review option, nor does it understand videos meant for educational or documentary purposes. This leads to valuable content being taken down without considering its context or significance.
Example:
If a documentary video includes sensitive content for educational purposes, it might still get flagged or removed, even though the intent is to inform and raise awareness. Facebook’s current system doesn’t allow us to appeal or clarify this context, which limits our ability to tell important stories.
5. Rights Manager Issues
The Rights Manager feature has also posed challenges, especially for creators working with public domain content or popular viral footage. The first creator to post this content gets all the credit and earnings, even if it’s in the public domain. This setup restricts other creators who want to use the same material to create their own unique content, limiting their creative expression and revenue.
Example: If a popular public domain video clip is used in a documentary, only the first uploader benefits, leaving other creators at a disadvantage. This limits other creators who might have valuable insights or stories related to the same content, it also limits creative freedom and results in an unfair revenue distribution, even though the content belongs to the public.
6. New Monetization Tools and Decline in Earnings
In the past, Facebook rewarded creators based on RPM (Revenue Per Mille) and CPM (Cost Per Mille), which meant that earnings were based on how much advertisers were willing to pay to place ads on a video. This allowed creators who worked hard and gained views to earn fair compensation. However, with the new monetization tools, many creators, including myself, have seen a 70-80% drop in earnings, regardless of content quality or impact. Hardworking creators expected this change to reward their dedication, but instead, it has made it increasingly difficult to sustain ourselves.
Example: Under the previous model, if advertisers valued a creator’s content highly, the earnings reflected that, which motivated us to produce impactful work. Now, creators receive only a few dollars, even for high-quality content. Meanwhile, creators who make quick, low-effort videos may receive huge payouts, despite their minimal investment in content creation. This change has left hardworking creators feeling discouraged, as we’re not fairly compensated for the time and effort invested. It has impacted our ability to sustain ourselves, pay our team, and continue producing meaningful content.
Despite these challenges, we deeply appreciate Facebook as a platform that has allowed us to make a meaningful difference. Here are a few achievements we are incredibly proud of:
Empowering Communities: Just two months ago, we created a documentary on the water scarcity issue in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Because of this video, an NGO has committed to building three boreholes for the community, which will change lives.
Raising Funds and Offering Scholarships: Through our platform, we have raised millions for people in need, provided scholarships for children, and revived careers, helping people regain hope.
Education and Sensitization: Our videos have educated audiences on important societal issues, creating awareness and fostering dialogue on crucial topics that impact communities.
We love what we do, and we’re passionate about creating content that informs, educates, and uplifts. However, the recent changes on Facebook are making it harder to continue this mission. We are calling on Facebook to consider revisiting these policies to create a fairer system that rewards meaningful and impactful work because the new changes are affecting our ability to operate sustainably and effectively.
Our hope is to continue growing on this platform and use it as a tool for development and positive change. We believe that with Facebook’s support, we can continue to inspire, educate, and create a better society. Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope that our concerns will be addressed.
Best regards,
Lucky Udu CEO,
Lucky Udu Studio
Tom Alison
