CP Teens UK says Meta's automated systems wrongly flagged the abbreviation 'CP' as relating to child pornography, restricting its Facebook page from April 2024. After an appeal restored the page but limited admin access, the charity paused activity and planned a relaunch — only to face a permanent ban a week before the October 2025 relaunch. Following coordinated outreach, Meta restored the account and renamed it Cerebral Palsy Teens UK, which the charity will use on Facebook and Instagram to avoid future confusion.
Charity Reclaims Facebook After Algorithm Mistook 'CP' for Child Pornography
CP Teens UK says Meta's automated systems wrongly flagged the abbreviation 'CP' as relating to child pornography, restricting its Facebook page from April 2024. After an appeal restored the page but limited admin access, the charity paused activity and planned a relaunch — only to face a permanent ban a week before the October 2025 relaunch. Following coordinated outreach, Meta restored the account and renamed it Cerebral Palsy Teens UK, which the charity will use on Facebook and Instagram to avoid future confusion.
12:52 PM, 11/14/2025Society
Charity's Facebook page restored after algorithm mix-up
The founder of a UK charity that supports teenagers with cerebral palsy has described a year-long struggle to regain access to its Facebook page after automated systems flagged the organisation for inappropriate content.
CP Teens UK, founded in 2013 by former para‑athlete Ellie Simpson, lost full access to its Facebook page in April 2024 when Meta's systems restricted the account, reportedly because the abbreviation 'CP' was misinterpreted as a reference to child pornography.
"CP stands for cerebral palsy but Meta believes it's connected to child pornography," Simpson said, describing how the problem first arose.
After an initial appeal in 2024 restored the page, Ms Simpson says her administrative rights remained limited, preventing posts and updates. The charity — which organises social events and supports young people who might otherwise face social isolation — temporarily paused its Facebook activity and used the time to reorganise services and plan a relaunch.
One week before the planned relaunch in October 2025, Meta reportedly informed the charity that the page had been permanently banned for alleged 'illegal content', erasing posts and followers and, Ms Simpson says, denying a further right of appeal. The charity then mobilised its wider network to pursue additional contact with Meta.
Following those efforts the page was restored and the account name was changed to Cerebral Palsy Teens UK. The charity says it will use that full name on Facebook and Instagram to avoid future confusion with unrelated or inappropriate content linked to the abbreviation 'CP', while continuing to use the CP Teens UK name elsewhere where it is already well known.
"We're all about social connection and meeting people who feel socially isolated. So to take this away from us, it was just heartbreaking — not only for us but for our young people who rely on this network," Simpson said.
Debbie Simpson, Ellie’s mother and a volunteer with the charity, added that the restrictions had 'brought everything to a halt', because many of the young people they support depend on social media to keep in touch with the outside world.
The charity contacted the BBC as part of its efforts to publicise the issue. Meta has been asked for comment.
Looking ahead: CP Teens used the downtime to develop new initiatives and plans for a stronger relaunch. With Facebook access restored under the clearer name, the group aims to rebuild its online community and continue supporting teenagers with cerebral palsy across the UK.
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