• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • Strength
    • Best Home Gym Machines
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Budget Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Cable Machines
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Smith Machines
      • Best Smart Home Gyms
    • Best Barbells
      • Best Budget Exercise Bikes
      • Best Budget Barbells
      • Best Powerlifting Barbells
      • Best Barbells For Women
    • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Adjustable Kettlebells
    • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
    • More Strength Equipement
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Weight Plates
      • Best Bumper Plates
      • Best Slam Balls
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Best Weight Sleds
      • All Other Strength Equipment
    • Training
      • Exercise Guides
        • Deadlift
        • Bench Press
        • Back Squat
        • Overhead Press
        • Lat Pulldown
        • Shoulder Exercises
        • Chest Exercises
        • Ab Exercises
        • Quad Exercises
        • Biceps Exercises
      • Training Guides
        • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
        • How to Build Muscle
        • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
        • How to Train on a Cut
      • Workouts
        • Back Workouts
        • At-Home Workouts
        • Chest & Back Workouts
        • Full-Body Workout
        • HIIT Workouts
        • Bodybuilding Workouts
        • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
      • Programs
        • 5×5 Program
        • Bodybuilding Programs
        • Push-Up Program
        • Pull-Up Program
        • 5/3/1 Program
        • Powerbuilding Program
        • German Volume Training
        • Build Your Own Program
    • News
      • CrossFit
      • Strongman
      • Bodybuilding
      • Powerlifting
      • Weightlifting
      • HYROX
    • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
  • Nutrition
    • Best Protein
      • Best Protein Powder for Men
      • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
      • Best Protein Powder For Women
      • Best Tasting Protein Powders
      • Best Protein Bars
      • Protein by Goal
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss
        • Best Protein Powder for Weight Gain
        • Best Protein Powder for Muscle Gain
      • Protein by Diet
        • Best Egg White Protein Powder
        • Best Keto Protein Powder
        • Best Organic Protein Powder
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
    • Best BCAA’s
      • Best BCAA’s for Women
    • Best Fat Burners
      • Best Non-Stim Fat Burners
      • Best Fat Burners For Men
      • Best Curved Treadmills
      • Best Fat Burners For Women
    • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
      • Best Pre-Workout for Women
      • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
      • Strongest Pre-Workouts
    • Best Creatine
      • Best Creatine Gummies
      • Best Creatine For Women
      • Best Creatine for Men
    • Other Nutrition Products
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
        • Best Greens Powder for Pregnancy
      • Best Meal Delivery Services
        • Best Budget Meal Delivery Services
        • Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service
        • Best Healthy Meal Delivery Service
        • Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss
        • Best Paleo Meal Delivery Services
        • Best Multivitamins for Women
        • Best Multivitamins for Men
        • Best Supplement Stacks
        • Best Multivitamins
    • Guides
      • Diets
        • Carb Cycling
        • Vertical Diet
        • Reverse Dieting
        • Carnivore Diet
        • Ketogenic Diet
        • Intermittent Fasting
        • IIFYM Diet
      • Muscle Gain
        • How to Dirty Bulk
        • Go From Cutting to Bulking
        • Eat These Carbs
        • How to Eat for Muscle
      • Fat Loss
        • Macros for Fat Loss
        • Calorie Deficits
        • Natural Fat Burners
        • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
      • Supplement Guides
        • Pre-Workout
        • Whey Protein
        • Mass Gainers
        • Greens Powders
        • Creatine
        • BCAAs
      • Daily Protein Needs
      • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
      • Foods With Creatine
      • Bulking Tips
    • Individual Supplement Reviews
  • Conditioning
    • Best Treadmills
      • Best Manual Treadmills
      • Best Compact Treadmills
      • Best Budget Treadmills
      • Best Treadmills Under $2000
      • Best Treadmills Under $1000
      • Best Treadmills For Tall People
      • Best Commercial Treadmills
      • Best Under Desk Treadmills
    • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Water Rowing Machines
      • Best Budget Rowing Machines
      • Best Compact Rowing Machines
      • Best Foldable Rowing Machines
      • Best Air Rowing Machines
    • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Best Folding Exercise Bikes
      • Best Exercise Bikes For Seniors
      • Best Air Bikes
    • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Budget Ellipticals
      • Best Compact Ellipticals
      • Best Rear Driving Ellipticals
      • Best Ellipticals For Seniors
      • Best Under Desk Ellipticals
      • Best Ellipticals Under $1000
    • Other Conditioning Products
      • Best Jump Ropes
      • Best Plyometric Boxes
      • Best Speed Sleds
      • Best Agility Ladders
      • Best Vertical Climbers
      • Best Commercial Stair Climbers
      • Best Affordable Stair Climbers
    • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
  • Recovery
    • Best Cold Plunges
    • Best Saunas
      • Best Infrared Sauna
    • Best Massage Guns
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Best Compression Boots
    • Best Back Massagers
    • Best Massage Chairs
    • Other Recovery Tools
      • Best Inversion Tables
      • Best Vibrating Massage Rollers
      • Best Massage Balls
      • Best Ice Wraps
      • Best Foam Rollers
    • Recovery Guides
  • Fitness Accessories
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Fitness Apps
        • Best Weightlifting Apps
        • Best Workout Programs
        • Best Cycling Apps
        • Best Treadmills Apps
        • Best Workout Streaming Services
        • Best Workout Apps
        • Best Running Apps
    • Best Bluetooth Earbuds
    • Best Digital Scales
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Heart Rate Monitors
      • Best Pedometers
      • Best Stopwatches
    • Apparel
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
      • Best Sports Bras
      • Best Trail Running Shoes
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Lifting Chalk
      • Best Dip Belts
      • Best Pull Up Assist Bands
      • Best Lifting Belts
  • Community Forum

CrossFit Shutters Facebook, Instagram Accounts Amid Data Privacy Concerns

May 23, 2019 by BarBend Team

CrossFit’s decision Monday to deactivate all Facebook and Instagram pages indefinitely was fueled by growing data and privacy concerns with the social media giant, Greg Glassman revealed on a call with the Morning Chalk Up. 

CrossFit staff has been silent on the changes amid large speculation in the community about what is actually going on. On Tuesday, Morning Chalk Up confirmed that the pages are, in fact, deactivated indefinitely. 

The explanation: “All activity on CrossFit, Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram accounts is suspended as of May 24, 2019, as CrossFit investigates the circumstances pertaining to Facebook’s deletion of the Banting7DayMealPlan and other well-known public complaints about the social-media company that may adversely impact the security and privacy of our global CrossFit community.” 

  • In a nutshell: Facebook“doesn’t comport with my community standards for privacy and decency, so we’re out.” 

CrossFit’s argument: Glassman was emphatic that the breakup with Facebook stems from a fundamental disagreement with how Facebook uses user data. 

  • “Facebook and its properties host and oversee a significant share of the marketplace of public thought.”
  • With an audience 2.32 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social media on the planet. 
  • “Facebook thus serves as a de facto authority over the public square, arbitrating a worldwide exchange of information as well as overseeing the security of the individuals and communities who entrust their ideas, work, and private data to this platform. This mandates a certain responsibility and assurance of good faith, transparency, and due process.”
  • If you only read one line: “CrossFit, Inc., as a voluntary user of and contributor to this marketplace, can and must remove itself from this particular manifestation of the public square when it becomes clear that such responsibilities are betrayed or reneged upon to the detriment of our community. Common decency demands that we do so, as do our convictions regarding fitness, health, and nutrition, which sit at the heart of CrossFit’s identity and prescription.”

Glassman was willing to live with some of these privacy concerns until a South Africa-based low-carb Facebook group — called “Banting 7 Day Meal Plans” — with 1.65 million members was deleted without warning or explanation. 

  • Glassman: “The final straw was when they deleted without notice or explanation a low carb high fat FB page with 1.6 million users in South Africa.”
  • Continuing on: “The group has 1.65 million users who post testimonials and other information regarding the efficacy of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. While the site has subsequently been reinstated (also without warning or explanation), Facebook’s action should give any serious person reason to pause, especially those of us engaged in activities contrary to prevailing opinion.”
  • The Facebook group was live on Tuesday, when your author requested to join. As of late Tuesday night, the page was removed, then reinstated.

More details: Glassman outlined eight specific reasons on a call with Morning Chalk Up, which he said would be released in full on CrossFit.com today at 5:00 PM PT. CrossFit staff, including Glassman himself, would be on CrossFit.com responding to comments. 

  • At the top of the list: “Facebook collects and aggregates user information and shares it with state and federal authorities as well as security organizations from other countries.”
  • Unauthorized removal of content via truth squads: “Facebook censors and removes user accounts based on unknown criteria and at the request of third parties including government and foreign government agencies.”
  • Facebook’s reselling of user data: “Facebook collects, aggregates, and sells user information as a matter of business. Its business model allows governments and businesses alike to use its algorithmically conjured advertising categories as sophisticated data-mining and surveillance tools.”

Between the lines: While CrossFit hasn’t experienced any instances where Facebook has mistreated the user data of their community, the truth is that they could in the future and Glassman isn’t prepared to give them that opportunity. He also emphasized that the more CrossFit increases its reliance on the platform, the harder it will be to walk away in the future. 

  • Glassman: “What am I going to do? Sell a couple million people down the pike?”, referring to a deal being considered by CrossFit, Inc. to give Facebook exclusive streaming of the CrossFit Games. 
  • Olivia Leonard, Executive Director of the CrossFit Foundation: “In order to entrust a community to an entity like Facebook, you have to believe that that entity acts in the best interest of that community and the individuals in it. I think it’s pretty clear Facebook violates that standard of trust in a variety of ways.” 
  • Brian Mulvaney, Chief Advisor: “Why would we take our community and package it up for sale to Facebook? They can’t take our CrossFitters and package them up for sale.”

CrossFit isn’t exactly wrong. Facebook’s mishandling of user’s data has been well documented. Here’s just a small sample of the headlines over the past year:

  • March 17, 2018 news breaks that Cambridge Analytica was able to harvest data from million of Facebook users without their knowledge. (Phil McCausland and Anna Schecter / NBC News)
  • Facebook increases the number of users affected by data harvesting increased to 87 million. (Alyssa Newcomb / NBC News)
  • April 2018, WhatsApp’s co-founder announces departure amid data privacy concerns. (Nick Statt / The Verge)
  • September 2018, Facebook announces a security loophole that allowed 50 million accounts to be taken over. (David Ingram / NBC News)
  • A December New York Times report revealed that Facebook gave companies like Microsoft, Netflix and Spotify unauthorized access to users’ data. (Gabriel J.X. Dance, Michael LaForgia and Nicholas Confessore / New York Times)
  • In April 2019, the Federal Trade Commission announced Facebook would be fined from $3 – $5 billion for their “handling of user data and potential privacy violations” during the Cambridge Analytica scandal. (Vox / Emily Stewart)
  • Recently, we learned Facebook is handing over data to academic researchers to help them figure out how social media impacts elections and democracy. (Vox / Emily Stewart)

By the Numbers: How big was CrossFit’s Instagram and Facebook audience?

  • CrossFit Games’ Instagram: 2.4 million
  • CrossFit’s Instagram: 2.8 million
  • CrossFit Games’ Facebook: 2.7 million
  • CrossFit’s Facebook: 3.1 million

How this might affect Sanctionals: Sanctionals have been supported by CrossFit Games’ Facebook page sharing their live stream to boost viewership. 

  • Five of 15 Sanctionals are brand new: Australian CrossFit Championship, Reykjavik CrossFit Championship, Down Under CrossFit Championship, Brazil CrossFit Championship and Rogue Invitational. 
  • Combined, their Facebook fanbase totals 32,800. Rogue is also able to benefit from their massive 1.7 million Facebook fan base.
  • CrossFit will still be able to support those Sanctionals by embedding streams on Games.CrossFit.com and crossposting to Twitter. 

Where do we go from here:

  • CrossFit.com and games.crossfit.com 
  • CrossFit Games’ Twitter (Active): 724K
  • CrossFit’s Twitter (Active): 971K
  • CrossFit’s YouTube (Active): 1.44 million
BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap