Cross Community Outrage at Meta's Brentford TV Ban
John Dale's suspension lifted four hours after coverage on this site
Brentford Today at TV was set up in 2019
June 6, 2025
There has been an angry reaction from across the political spectrum and the wider community to the unexplained suspension of a popular Facebook group which focuses on the Brentford area.
Curated by John Dale, who set it up in 2019, Brentford Today & TV is widely recognised as the leading source of information on the inner workings of Hounslow Council with a consistent supply of stories provided by leaks from within the administration.
The group does not solely focus on political matters but also highlighted community initiatives and the activities of local clubs and voluntary groups.
When Mr Dale discovered that he was unable to update the page he made an appeal to Meta, the company which operates Facebook, on Friday 30 May. He received no response despite an automated message saying that the appeal would be considered within 24 hours. The suspension was only lifted on the evening of Thursday (5 June) four hours after the publication of a story about the suspension on BrentfordTW8.com and ChiswickW4.com.
John Dale who edits Brentford Today and TV
Mr Dale, a semi-retired journalist, can’t think of anything exceptional published recently, which may have prompted the suspension. In the previous week he had covered the Council AGM, the Brentford Sunday Market, the opening of new shops on the High Street, cygnets hatching and celebrations being held for the Golden Mile Centenary.
He insists that he had been rigorous, “absolutely 100 per cent”, in trying to adhere to Facebook’s Community Standards, editing and monitoring all content himself as sole Administrator.
There are about 60 posts a week which he accepts will inevitably give rise to some complaints to Facebook but contends these, given the controversial nature of some of the posts, have been remarkably low. He has been suspended twice by the platform – four years ago when he published photos of himself with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, taken during a magazine assignment in 1979, and was wrongly accused of promoting terrorism, and two years ago when he posted pictures from the Brentford start of the World Naked Bike Ride. He accepts this was a misjudgement and the suspension was lifted after five days.
The page remained visible during the suspension, but no updates were appearing prompting people to contact Mr Dale to enquire about his well-being. However, he could offer them no explanation for the ban and, even following its lifting, he remains unaware of what he might have done wrong.
An automated response from Meta promises a quick response but nothing was heard for a week
He says of Meta’s original action, “At its most basic, this undermines free speech, community and democracy. Every politician, even those I’ve criticised, should step forward and support my case as a matter of principle.”
The effective closure of Brentford Today and TV led to an outpouring of support from across the local community. In the political sphere, there was cross-party support for Brentford TV since the suspension including from members of the ruling Labour administration which has often had a fractious relationship with the site. Cllr Salman Shaheen, Hounslow Council Cabinet member, said, “As a local politician, and as someone who has worked on both sides of the media, I have always respected our local press. Even as so much of local journalism across the UK has been gutted for churnalism, those that remain to ask the awkward questions are the lens under which democracy, at all levels, is subjected to scrutiny. Brentford TV is an important channel of hyper-local information in an age when that is dying. It has, at turns, championed the work of this administration. It has also, often, been a thorn in our side. But democracy dies the day billionaire-owned multinational social media corporations can no-platform the local press on a whim. And while our jobs might be that bit easier without Brentford TV posing its awkward questions and posting sometimes salacious gossip, on this, I stand with John Dale.”
From the Tory side, Cllr Jack Emsley said, “I’ve often said that our borough is an oasis of quality local journalism in an otherwise barren landscape. We’re much richer for all of the work our local media does to keep us informed and hold power to account, so the bizarre decision, seemingly without reason, by Facebook to suspend Brentford TV has a direct negative impact on our community. It’s crucial we stand up for our local press, and I stand fully behind John in calling for Brentford TV to be reinstated immediately.” His colleague Cllr Joanna Biddolph added, "I’ve always had strong views about openness and transparency in politics. Without them, it is impossible to hold power to account. If Brentford Today & TV has been closed down because of a complaint from someone who would rather facts remain hidden, or because awkward questions were asked, or because it published articles or comments that were uncomfortable to read, that is damaging to democracy. Democracies need journalists who challenge, question and report fairly."
Independent Brentford councillor Guy Lambert, who has been involved in testy online exchanges with Mr Dale called the action by Met disappointing saying, "I am a local councillor in Brentford and have served the town for over 10 years. I publish weekly updates via my own website guylambert.blog and also on BrentfordTW8.com which is a valuable local ‘press’ outlet.
"I also monitor Brentford TV on Facebook daily. It is an invaluable component of our local media. I frequently cross swords with John Dale but that does not diminish my position that he is a very valuable asset to local democracy and has picked up local issues or news I have raised unprompted by me.
"I am aware of his recent suspension because several members of the public living locally have asked me what is going on, because they are missing the site and worried about John’s health – a worry that turns out to be unfounded.”
The recently elected independent councillor for Syon and Brentford Lock, Theo Dennison also weighed in with his support saying, “As a resident for over 33 years and a local councillor for 12 I can attest to the high standards you have maintained covering the news locally and the unrivalled contribution you have made to informing and involving the community in civic affairs. Always open and honest you have challenged vested interests and offered a platform for members of the public to raise concerns - your site more than any other fills the immense hole left by the demise of local print journalism, it acts as the most accessible, broadest and most effective forum for local news and debate, it is interesting, lively and exciting - everything Facebook could have wished for..”
There was also widespread dismay at the suspension from residents active in the community. Prominent activist Jim Storrar of Brentford Voice said, “Brentford TV fulfils a vital civic function in our community, providing an unfailingly non-partisan view of local affairs, including community events and local political issues. I stand with John Dale.”
Paul Keane, of Brentford Boat Club, said, Brentford Today & TV has been a terrific help recently in helping us spread awareness of our activities and promoting our summer events. I’ve seen how rigorously John Dale tries to follow Community guidelines. Facebook needs to lift this ban. Otherwise Brentford will be the loser.”
The ban seems to follow a pattern of unexplained suspensions of site providing local news by Meta.
In April of this year the Leicester Gazette had its Facebook admin account disabled for alleged violations of "account integrity" standards. The team was not provided with specific reasons and initially had no means to appeal. After media coverage and intervention by Press Gazette, Meta acknowledged the suspension as an error and reinstated the account. The following month Kent Online experienced a week-long restriction on its Facebook page after posting a court report and KMFM, a sister brand of Kent Online, also had its temporarily taken down. Although the page was reinstated, the journalist's personal Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram accounts remained deactivated for several days.
These incidents have raised concerns among local publishers about Meta's moderation practices, especially given the lack of clear communication and appeal mechanisms. The News Media Association has described such actions as an "attack on local journalism," emphasising the need for platforms to support, rather than hinder, access to trusted local news.
Meta has been shifting its focus away from news content. In December 2023, the company discontinued its Facebook News tab in the UK, France, and Germany and ceased funding for the Community News Project, which had supported local journalism through reporter placements.
Following the lifting of the suspension Mr Dale was able to post on Facebook, “Thank you, Brentford TW8. The site looks slightly different and some past material has vanished but…
“And thank you to all those who offered support, including Councillors on all sides who saw this as an issue which rose above politicking. That probably made a big difference to getting it back up and running.”
During the suspension he said, “Everything I post on Facebook is open and public, to encourage online debate – that’s the point. I rarely use Facebook for anything other than Brentford Today & TV. Can we trust these global sites to understand and respect our values and culture? Do we have much choice when Meta-Facebook own nearly 50 per cent of social media?”
Meta has not responded to our request for a comment on this matter.
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