【Watch Serve the People Online】

The Watch Serve the People Onlineinternet is full of cute cats, but some can have devastating effects.

SEE ALSO: Norway newspaper editor blasts Zuckerberg for censoring iconic Vietnam War photograph

On Friday evening, Chennai-based technology blogger Varun Krishnan was locked out of his Facebook account after he shared a photo of an innocent looking cat with a friend.

"It might sound stupid but this just happened to me," Krishnan told Mashable India. "I was chatting with friends, got one cat image on WhatsApp, it was so cute that I sent it to a friend." But when Facebook Messenger app immediately asked Krishnan to re-enter his credentials, he knew something was amiss.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

"Before I realized, my devices were getting logged off. Even on PC, Messenger notified me that my Facebook account has been disabled,” he added. “My photos, my Facebook Ads account (Varun runs FoneArena, a tech blog), they wiped my presence off Facebook in a matter of seconds for a cat photo."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Facebook didn’t offer any explanation to Krishnan as to how that photo violated its terms of service that led to his account getting disabled. It’s a funny photo of a suit wearing cat. Though, when examined closely, the photo also has some blurred text in a foreign language.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Reports suggest that others who have tried sharing the same photo -- some after making alterations -- have also had their Facebook accounts disabled. We also tried doing this with a test account but nothing happened.

Facebook has reinstated Krishnan’s account, and apologized for the incident. The company, however, didn’t elaborate what about the picture made it block the account. “Our team found this was a mistake & have restored your account. We’re sorry for the trouble this caused you,” Facebook Security Communications team told FoneArenain a statement.

Facebook has gotten more alarmed lately about the pictures people are sharing on the social network. Last month, over 100 of Facebook's biggest meme pages boycotted the website for a similar reason, and in the hope of exposing and making "transparent the reporting and deletion process on the world’s largest social network, and show[ing] how it contributes to the censorship methods of the future."

This isn’t the first time Facebook has blocked a user’s account after it had issues with images they were sharing. Over the years, the company’s methodology and judgement over what it deems fit to be shared on Facebook have been questioned and criticized by many. Last month, the social juggernaut blocked South African TV and Radio Producer Msizi Nkosi after he shared images of Swazi Maidens wearing traditional attire.

The company also was under hot water after it removed ‘Napalm Girl’ photo from its site. Norway newspaper editor had blasted Zuckerberg for censoring the iconic Vietnam War photograph. We have reached out to Facebook for more details. In the meantime, try not to share that cat picture with anyone.

Topics Facebook

• Social Good
• Life
• Tech
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Games

• Best headphones deal: Save up to 51% on Beats at Amazon
• 'Game of Thrones' composer looks back on that iconic theme song
• A new 'Walking Dead' series debuting with 10 episodes in 2020
• Elton John biopic 'Rocketman' ignites CinemaCon with new footage
• Wordle today: The answer and hints for April 14, 2025
• Trump held up a mask of his face at Florida rally and said it had nice hair
• Kit Harington should go full thirst trap after ‘Game of Thrones’
• Women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw on gender equality: Watch
• Ryzen 5 1600X vs. 1600: Which should you buy?
• 'Game of Thrones' Season 8: Which dragons will survive

• Apple's 13
• Twitter is testing a new way to show replies and users aren't happy
• What is the best Harry Potter book?: Pop Culture Throwdown
• How to help struggling restaurants and feed hungry hospital staff
• Andy Serkis is reading 'The Hobbit' aloud for 12 hours and you can stream it
• Trump was trolled with a giant projection on his hotel
• Careless truck driver gets a healthy dose of instant karma
• No one wants to name their baby Donald anymore
• Want to help others in a pandemic? Try these campaigns through Giving Tuesday Now.
• Can't escape home? Try this virtual escape room instead.

• Galaxy S9+ vs Pixel 2 XL Camera
• Joss Whedon calls on celebrity superheroes one last time to get out the vote
• Congress just got climate change testimony from eloquent teenagers
• The Bernie Sanders doppelgänger wants you to know he's not Larry David, either
• I'm a college professor. My advice to young people who feel hooked on tech
• The Bernie Sanders doppelgänger wants you to know he's not Larry David, either
• Fans are very into the teaser for Halsey's collab with BTS
• Madonna plays surprise gig for Clinton in New York
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 5, 2025
• Comedian absolutely nails AOC impression

• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 26
• Snapchat's redesigned camera can 'scan' for GIFs and help you with math homework
• #AndysComing will make you forget all about the Mannequin Challenge
• MacKenzie Bezos joins Twitter specifically to announce she and Jeff are donezos
• The Story Behind the Home of Forgotten Video Games
• Joss Whedon calls on celebrity superheroes one last time to get out the vote
• Fun first 'Sonic the Hedgehog' footage debuts at CinemaCon
• Fake iPhone scam cost Apple $895K
• Whale Vomit Episode 5: Startup Monarchy
• MacKenzie Bezos joins Twitter specifically to announce she and Jeff are donezos