shadowbans
Hidden platform censorship
Shadowbans are a moderation technique where a user's content is hidden from others without notifying the user.
The person continues posting normally, unaware their contributions are invisible to everyone else.
Platforms use shadowbanning to discourage bad actors without triggering the retaliation that explicit bans might provoke: I think I've been shadowbanned—my posts get zero engagement.
Also called stealth bans or ghost bans.
Cannot be seen
- undetectedNot discovered yet
- hiddenKept out of sight
- covertIntentionally concealed
- silentProducing no sound
ghosting · unseen · secret · unaware · oblivious · unknowing · subtle · quiet
Stopping noise or dissent
- mutingSuppressing sound output
- throttlingRestricting flow or speed
- limitingPlacing restrictions upon
- reachExtend to touch
visibility · engagement · buried · deprioritized · downranked · censorship · blocked · restricted
Topical online community space
- moderatorOne who presates proceedings
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
- forumGathering place for discourse
- enforcementCompelling compliance with rules
suspension · Reddit · Twitter · platform · admin · guidelines · violation · flagged
invisible
Cannot be seen
- undetectedNot discovered yet
- hiddenKept out of sight
- covertIntentionally concealed
silent · ghosting · unseen · secret · unaware · oblivious · unknowing · subtle · quiet · sneaky
silencing
Stopping noise or dissent
- mutingSuppressing sound output
- throttlingRestricting flow or speed
- limitingPlacing restrictions upon
reach · visibility · engagement · buried · deprioritized · downranked · censorship · blocked · restricted · blacklist
subreddit
Topical online community space
- moderatorOne who presates proceedings
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
- forumGathering place for discourse
enforcement · suspension · Reddit · Twitter · platform · admin · guidelines · violation · flagged · restricted
ostracized
Excluded from a group
- isolatedSeparated from others
- marginalizedPushed to society's edges
- ignoredPurposely not noticed
sidelined · rejected · alienated · outcast · shunned · banished · segregated · voiceless · siloed · quarantined
shadowbansamplification
Increase in intensity
verification · promotion · full access · good standing · whitelisting
shadowbansboosting
Increasing force or level
amplification · signal boosting · featuring · highlighting · surfacing