Wildlands has lost its official Facebook page. Parent company Meta suspects the zoo of suspicious activities on social media.
And that is ‘super annoying’, responds Hanneke Wijshake of Wildlands. Facebook’s suspension has been going on for several weeks. Wildlands was hoping it would be for the winter event WILDnights which starts on Tuesday evening, was able to communicate again with 125,000 followers on the online platform.
Possibly starting all over again
According to Wildlands, Facebook’s parent company Meta is investigating suspicious activities on the page of the zoo and adventure park in Emmen. The reasons for the suspension are not yet much more concrete. “Our IT department is of course involved in the research, but we are completely dependent on Meta. We would like to get our page back, but there is a chance that we will have to start all over again,” Wijshake responds.
There are still several unofficial ‘Wildlands pages’ active on Facebook, managed by park enthusiasts. The organization itself communicates for the time being via its own website and an Instagram account, also owned by Meta.
Also the separate page of WILDnights by the way, it’s a shame. From Boxing Day, the park opens its doors with an ice skating rink, food stalls, illuminated animal enclosures and laser shows.
Own actions or actions of third parties
A Facebook page of a company or commercial institution can be suspended or removed if the rules are violated. Facebook’s fine print contains a forest of potential violations. For example, Meta can black out a page for misleading, hateful or offensive messages.
Critics of Meta point to the arbitrariness of the billion-dollar company in removing political and social posts that the company does not like. Whether Wildlands is a victim of its own actions or the actions of third parties remains mysterious.