Facebook faced a backlash after blocking and banning users who attempted to share an article featuring a historical photo of Aboriginal men in chains from the 1890s. 

Shortly after then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed there was "no slavery in Australia," a statement he later retracted following public outcry, a post with a photo of Aboriginals in chains was published by the Western Australian Museum with the aim of educating people about the mistreatment of Indigenous Australians in the past. 

Initially, Facebook removed the post, citing violations of community standards related to nudity. The company later said that its action was due to a mistake made by its automated moderation system, and that it had restored the post and apologised to affected users. 

However, many users reported being unable to share the article or facing temporary bans for attempting to do so, with some receiving bans of up to 30 days. Facebook attributed the slow response to a reduced workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritising content that posed the most potential harm.

The incident highlighted concerns about Facebook's content moderation practices, particularly how its automated systems may unfairly and disproportionately affect discussions about sensitive historical topics, including those involving minority groups, and lead to the perceived censorship of important educational material.