The Northwest Wine Report says that Meta has begun telling many wine, beer and spirits-related businesses that their Facebook Pages will no longer be recommended by Facebook’s algorithms, which those businesses say is already reducing reach and, by extension, revenue. The author says the change appears to have hit at least hundreds and possibly far more businesses, with confirmations from wineries, retailers and related organisations across several US West Coast states and at least one report from Denmark, while Instagram does not appear to be affected so far.
A major theme is confusion about both the message and the reason. The notification arrived via email and in-app alerts, but the email looked enough like a phishing attempt that some recipients doubted it was real. Even once it seemed legitimate, businesses reported being told they “didn’t follow the rules” without being given a specific violation, sometimes alongside a Page status showing “Good news: no violations to show”. The piece says Meta offered the option to request a review, yet the provided links and Help Centre did not clearly allow that, leading some owners to spend hours troubleshooting or even pay consultants.
With Meta not responding to requests for comment, the article suggests possibilities such as stricter handling of regulated products or age restrictions, but concludes it’s unclear what triggered the change and warns that, if it persists, alcohol businesses may lose organic growth and be pushed towards paid advertising, adding strain to an industry already facing challenges.
