Namatjira MLA Bill Yan hit with ’frustrating’ Facebook ban

Namatjira MLA Bill Yan has been hit with a 24-hour Facebook ban after posting a 40-second clip explaining Alice Springs residents’ current crime concerns. Read why.

Namatjira MLA Bill Yan has been left frustrated after Facebook handed him a 24-hour ban for posting a 40-second clip voicing residents’ concerns about the crime rate in Alice Springs.

In the clip, in which Mr Yan filmed himself walking down an Alice Springs street, he explained that while the CBD had calmed down, residents in Larapinta were still struggling with crime.

“The biggest issue people are having out here currently is kids throwing rocks at cars when they’re driving around at night,” he said.

“The government really needs to step up now and start getting some resources out here into the suburbs of Alice Springs.

Mr Yan said he was banned for “violating Facebook policies”, despite the clip not featuring any profanities or identifying anybody else.

“Because it’s only a matter of time before somebody gets seriously injured or killed with these kids throwing rocks at cars as they are driving around the suburbs here in Larapinta and wider in Alice Springs.”

Mr Yan had woken up on Friday morning with the message from Facebook stating “you recently posted something that violates Facebook policies, so you are temporarily blocked from using this feature”.

“I’ve posted far more controversial things than that, I can tell you,” he said.

He said Facebook was a very important tool for all MLAs in the Northern Territory, particularly those in “bush” electorates, to be able to communicate with people.

The Alice Springs politician said it was ‘frustrating’ that he had to spend most of Friday morning figuring out the ban, when it was usually a tool he used to communicate.

Mr Yan said he had not posted any other videos on his Facebook account in the 48 hours prior to when the clip was posted on Thursday, and the last post on his personal account was a Facebook memory of him travelling in Nepal seven years ago.

There had been no comments on the post prior to the ban and no other clips were featured in the video.

“I’m particularly frustrated because I’ve spent half the morning trying to fix it. Myself and my team at the opposition’s office have tried to sort it out, and we can’t seem to get anywhere.

“I guess I’m in Facebook jail, that’s one to tick off the bucket list.”

Meta, the company which owns Facebook, has been contacted for comment.