Demystifying Shadowbans in Online Communities

Key Takeaways

• Shadowbanning is the practice of partially or fully blocking a user’s content without their knowledge.
• Claims of shadowbanning have been made on various social media platforms, with users alleging bias and attempts to silence certain opinions.
• To avoid being shadowbanned, users should follow platform guidelines, avoid offensive or explicit content, and refrain from spam-like behavior.

When it comes to social media, if you don’t play by the rules, you don’t get to use the platform. This is made pretty clear to all users. However, there has been one practice that has been shrouded in mystery, so much so that users are confused as to whether it actually exists or not.

We are talking about shadowbanning. So, what is shadowbanning? And what can you do to prevent a social media platform from shadowbanning you?

What Is Shadowbanning?

Social media platforms can ban users in a few different ways. You can lose access to your account for a short period of time or indefinitely. They can also ban you from making a new account if the offense is serious enough for an IP ban, which is when the platform shuts you out based on your IP address.

These bans have one thing in common: users know that they have been banned. This is precisely what sets shadowbanning apart.

Shadowbanning, also known as ghost banning or stealth banning, is commonly defined as the practice of blocking a user or their content, fully or partially, in a way that it will not be obvious to the user.

This way, the user retains access to their account and can see posts from other users. They can even post as usual, but the social network partially or completely “shadows” the posts, making them invisible to other users.

For example, if you saw a particular creator a lot on your TikTok For You Page, then suddenly the app stops suggesting their TikToks to you, you may assume the account was deleted. But when you search their name, you see the account is still clearly there. This might be a case of shadowbanning where TikTok is simply not promoting that creator’s content, so nobody actually sees it.

However, the mystery is whether the practice actually really exists in a tangible form, or if people just cry “Shadowbanned!” when their content just doesn’t get a lot of views.

Are People Really Getting Shadowbanned?

There have been numerous claims of shadowbanning across different social media platforms. With the politically charged environment making it harder than ever to distinguish genuine news from fake news, social media platforms have been accused of having a bias and using shadowbanning to silence the opinions they dislike.

Shadowbanning on X

Some users have claimed that X (formerly Twitter) had shadowbanned them. The claims began in 2016, with accusations that Twitter was shadowbanning people that supported the Republican Party in the US.

However, the situation escalated in 2018, afterVice News claimed that Twitter was shadowbanning prominent Republican politicians, which was soon followed by a tweet from the then-President of the US, Donald Trump.

Twitter was quick to respond, and while Vice News said that Twitter had “fixed” the shadowbans, Twitter claimed in ablog post that they have never actually used the practice. The blog post said that Twitter instead used ranking, which ranked tweets from “bad-faith actors”.

Apparently, Twitter determines these according to several factors which have to do with the authenticity of the account, and how the one uses the account.

Even after Twitter’s switch to X, talk about shadowbanning was still prominent. X addressed shadowbanning, explaining that some posts will have their reach limited if they go against the platform’s rules.

Shadowbanning on Instagram

Instagram has had more than its fair share of complaints from users about how their posts reach only a few of their followers. The shadowban claims began in 2017. This happened after posts from some users stopped appearing for users that did not follow them, especially under the hashtag search. But there are now ways tocheck if you have been shadowbanned on Instagram.

Instagram has addressed some of these claims on theInstagram Help Center . The company notes that content that is offensive or sensitive may be limited from the Explore page or Suggestions, and users will still see content from all accounts they follow.

However, this did not convince everyone. If you follow some smaller accounts on Instagram with a few thousand followers, you might have seen them complain about low reach all of a sudden.

It could have happened to you, too, where an Instagram story posted by you had fewer views than you expected. This might not necessarily be shadowbanning. It could be up to algorithmic decisions.

Shadowbanning on Facebook

Facebook is the world’s biggest social network. Users have accused the social media giant of prioritizing advertisers over users for years. These concerns expanded into shadowbanning, especially in 2018. Many users complain about their posts and comments suddenly getting no reactions.

Facebook is also one of the biggest platforms for news sharing, which complicates this topic. The social media platform has the giant task of curating news content while filtering out fake news. However, users claim that the social network has an inherent bias. Facebook has provided a clarification from its end.

In 2018, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of Congress and said that Facebook supports free speech. He also claimed that Facebook is working on ensuring they flag only fake news and not merely unpopular opinions. So if we are to believe Facebook, it doesn’t shadowban people. Rather, it’s the algorithmic attempts to battle harmful content that can accidentally restrict some users.

Zuckerberg re-emphasized this point in a Joe Rogan podcast in 2022, saying that Facebook only limits posts that are proven to be false or engage in harmful content that is against the community guidelines. But, it makes mistakes.

Zuckerberg has assured users that they are constantly working on the flaws. You can also simplyget permanently banned from Facebook , but this is rare.

Shadowbanning on TikTok

TikTok also doesn’t explicitly shadowban, but its rules state that it may reduce visibility on content that violates its community guidelines. This includes content containing nudity, drugs, hate speech, or other prohibited content. Many TikTok creators feel like they have been shadowbanned at least temporarily.

TikTok users notice they might have been shadowbanned when their TikToks rapidly lose engagement, like views and likes, from the For You Page. Posts may not even upload correctly or at all, and their fans have a hard time seeing their videos.

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How to Avoid Getting Shadowbanned

Every platform has a set of rules to follow, usually referred to as community guidelines. Most of the guidelines are common sense at this point. However, there is a small chance one could accidentally violate these guidelines without realizing it.

The most important part is to not post explicit or offensive content or news from unverified sources. As far as comments go, for the most part, you just have to be nice.

Social networks can also flag you for suspicious activity. That means you need to have your account details up to date, and your email verified. You also have to ensure that you aren’t posting in a manner that makes you look like a spammer or bot. Using banned hashtags is also a bad idea if you want to avoid being shadowbanned.

Shadowbanning Will Stay Controversial

There is no real way to determine if social media networks are really trying to shut down opinions they don’t like, or just trying to ensure that the content users are putting out is safe for everyone.

Either way, the onus is on us as users to be careful and stick to the rules or risk the consequences. There will always be talk about whether shadowbanning is good, bad, or even necessary, but if you want to stay active on your favorite platforms, then it is best to just avoid the risk.