Social Media Shadowbanning and How Platforms Secretly Limit Your Reach

You have probably experienced a situation where your social media posts were doing well, receiving thousands of likes and comments. Then, after some time, you realized that the engagement level on your posts had dropped. You even stopped seeing your posts in public places. 

You may wonder what you did wrong since you didn't receive a notification that your content was banned. In such a case, there's a chance that you've been shadowbanned. In this article, we will help you understand shadowbanning, its causes, and how you can recover.

What is Shadowbanning?

A shadowban means your content is restricted or blocked on a social media platform without you getting official notifications. Your social media profile activities, posts, and comments are obscured. While your account may appear in social media searches, it can experience considerable drops in engagement, including the number of followers.

People who follow you may stop seeing your account in search results, and the number of followers can drop because they may not see the account in their feed. The Cambridge Dictionary defines shadowbanning a post as limiting the number of people who see it without the post's publisher knowing.

While many social media platforms deny the idea of shadowbanning accounts, they admit to hiding posts that violate their community guidelines from the public. The shadowbanning concept gained popularity around 2018 when politically conservative account owners claimed they had been shadowbanned.

This differs from an outright ban in that, in a ban, the account owner is notified. On the other hand, a shadow ban is usually done more subtly. Your account will remain active, but the posts will not be shown to people searching for hashtags in your niche. The content is also shown to significantly fewer people, leading to a significant drop in engagement. If you are a content creator, influencer, or brand marketer on social media, the impact of shadowbanning can be huge.

Is Shadowbanning Real?

While social media has publicly denied shadowbanning content, it has acknowledged that its algorithm determines the content on the feed. That means even if it doesn't shadowban accounts, its algorithm limits the reach of certain posts. While shadowbanning is real, it's usually not as straightforward as some think.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have all been accused of having shadowbanning tendencies. For instance, if an Instagram post is seen as overusing hashtags or exhibiting spammy tendencies, it may be shadowbanned. On the other hand, X limits the reach of tweets that appear to have been made by bots. While Facebook doesn't admit to shadowbanning content, it limits the reach of content it considers problematic, such as political content.

However, not all drops in content visibility and engagement result from shadowbanning. This can also be attributed to audience behavior, content quality, and behaviors. Therefore, you must understand how to increase social media engagement before concluding that your content has been shadowbanned.

Common Causes of Shadow Banning

To protect yourself from shadowbanning, you need to understand why it happens in the first place. As you may guess, the most common cause is a violation of user platform guidelines. This may have been done intentionally or unintentionally. Other common causes include:

• Content violation. When a user posts content that violates the community standard, it can lead to shadowbanning.
• Spammy behavior may include overuse of hashtags, mass following, or unfollowing of accounts.
• Change in the algorithm. Another common cause of shadowbanning is changes to the algorithm. This is especially true if suspicious activity is detected in your account.

According to one study, dubbed "Posting into the void," there are four types of shadow bans. These are:

• The username or hashtag does not appear in the search suggestions.
• A drop in the number of followers.
• Certain features, such as likes and replies, get blocked.
• A temporary ban that often returns to normal after an unspecified period

Shadowbans are usually very controversial because social media users aren't notified about them. They only discover a drop in engagement, such as the level of engagement on their accounts. Social media platforms do that because they know that if a social media user realizes they have been banned, they will immediately start looking for other options, such as opening new accounts. On the other hand, when a shadow ban happens, social media users will continue posting, not realizing there is a ban in effect.

A report by the Center for Democracy and Technology indicated that one in every ten social media users in the United States had been shadowbanned once. However, there could be other reasons for visibility if your account is at risk of being dropped, which we will discuss later.

Shadowbanning on Different Social Media Sites

While they often deny doing so, most social media platforms are known for shadow-banning content. Let’s highlight them.

X Shadowban

X (formerly Twitter) has claimed that though it doesn't shadowban, it penalizes bad faith actors when ranking Tweets and providing search results. Elon Musk, in 2023, said that he would make X a free speech platform and let users know if they have been shadowbanned. However, many X users suggest they are still getting shadowbanned without their knowledge.

It can be hard to tell if you're experiencing a Twitter shadowban. However, you can ask friends if they see your account activity or posts. You can also look at your engagement level to see if Twitter reduces your account activity. If there is a sudden drop in impressions, it could be that the platform is limiting your reach.

On X, shadowbanning lasts for a few days. To avoid this, avoid posting content against their terms and services. You also need to improve the level of trust the platform puts in your account by confirming your email address, having a profile photo, and posting high-quality content that adds value to the readers. If you regularly get blocked and muted because of your poor content, the chances of getting shadowbanned increase.

Facebook Shadowban

If you are posting problematic content on Facebook, you are likely to be penalized in three ways:

• Taking down the content.
• Reducing the spread of the content.
• Providing additional context to the content.

If your content on Facebook is regularly inhibited in its reach, this is a form of a shadow ban. If your Facebook account frequently shares harmful or fake content, it may be banned outright. If you're concerned about your Facebook account, page, or group being shadowbanned, you can check the engagement level of your recent posts to see if there's a significant drop.

To avoid getting shadowbanned, avoid sharing misleading or fake information. Facebook works with independent fact-checking organizations that counter-check information to see if there are inaccuracies. If you add links to sites that the Facebook algorithm considers clickbait, Facebook will penalize such content.

Instagram Shadowban

If you create content that is against the platform's community guidelines, it will be removed. This may include content that is sexually suggestive, encouraging self-injury, or illegal. Instagram also prefers videos and images that are suitable for a diverse audience. Therefore, if you post a lot of content that is considered less family-friendly, your account could be at risk of a shadow ban.

Determining if you've been shadowbanned on Instagram can be challenging. However, there are several ways that can provide you with a hint. First, you can access your Instagram account while private browsing. For instance, you can use Incognito mode on Chrome on your desktop.  You can then search for your Instagram handle on their site. You may have been shadowbanned if your account does not appear in the search results.

To test the visibility of your hashtags, create a few posts on a platform like Instagram. Add a few unpopular hashtags in the caption and first comment, and then search for those hashtags to see if your post appears in the search results. If it doesn't, you may be a victim of shadowbanning.

Another way to determine if you're shadowbanned on Instagram is to check Instagram Insights. When you notice a decline in your Instagram, it's a sign that you may be shadowbanned. As with other social media platforms, shadowbanning on Instagram is usually lifted after a few days. To avoid getting shadowbanned, avoid posting content against the platform's terms.

TikTok Shadowban

TikTok doesn't use the term Shadowban in its community guidelines. However, the platform also has an algorithm that determines its ranking. Many people may not see your content if you're on the wrong side of the algorithm. Your account may also not appear on the TikTok For You Page.

According to TikTok guidelines, if your content violates their community guidelines, you should remove it. You can check if your TikTok content has been shadowbanned by looking at the For You Page statistics and your page views. You can also search for the hashtags you have used in your posts. If your posts appear under the hashtag, you haven't been shadowbanned.

To avoid getting shadowbanned on TikTok and avoid penalties, ensure you follow the TikTok algorithm recommendations and community guidelines. Some types of content to avoid posting include hate speech, violence, illegal products, spam, and other similar content.

Reddit Shadowban

In the past, Reddit hid users' posts who broke its rules. After 2015, the platform established an account suspension system that informs users when they are suspended, the reason for their suspension, and for how long they have been suspended. However, some Reddit users still claim that the platform also shadowbans content. In fact, the platform says in its content policy that it enforces rules by:

• Removing privileges for specific users. 
• Restrictions on accounts.
• Removal of content.

You can confirm if you have a shadowban on Reddit by visiting their appeal suspension page. If the platform allows you to send an appeal, you probably have a shadow ban. By creating a post on the r/ShadowBan subreddit, you will get a response from a bot informing you if any of your posts have been removed.

Since a shadowban on Reddit will depend on the rules of the Subreddit you are in, it can be tricky to avoid a shadowban. For instance, some subreddits don't allow self-promotion. Therefore, begin by reading the Subreddit rules before posting. These are usually used on the sidebar when accessing the desktop. On mobile, you can find them under “About.” In all, there are specific rules of thumb you should bear in mind:

• Avoid placing too many links or spamming. At most, only add one or two links to your work.
• Avoid harassing or regularly downvoting other users.
• Avoid doxxing (posting people’s personal information).
• Avoid posting inappropriate or illegal content.
• Don't block or insult admins or moderators.

YouTube Shadowbans

Like other social media platforms, YouTube also denies shadowbanning channels. However, it says it reviews and flags videos before they appear in its searches. Some channel owners suggest that YouTube shadowbans their content, making it hard for them to increase YouTube views. A good example was in 2020, when PewDiePie’s fans reported that his videos were not appearing in searches.

A good way to tell if your channel has been shadowbanned is to search for it using a private browser. To avoid a YouTube shadowban, ensure that you are following their terms of service, such as:

• Avoid controversial keywords or hashtags.
• Avoid spamming the comment section of other channels.
• Not uploading harmful, spammy, or clickbait content.

How to Tell if Your Social Media Content Has Been Shadowbanned

Determining if your social media content is shadowbanned can be hard, mainly because the platforms don't notify users when this happens. However, you can check for the following signs:

A Significant Drop in Engagement 

If you notice that the number of likes, shares, and comments has dropped significantly, this might be due to shadowbanning. Since the social media platform will suppress your content from reaching your target audience, few people will see and engage with the content.

Low Visibility of Hashtags

Hashtags are essential in increasing your content reach on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. If your posts aren't appearing under the hashtags used, this could also be a telltale sign. This happens even when you are using relevant and popular hashtags. That means people who aren't following your account won't find your content when they use a particular hashtag.

Dips in Analytics 

Social media analytics can provide insights into your posts' performance. If you see a sudden drop in reach and impressions, it could be a sign of shadowbanning.

Impact of Shadow Banning on Your Account

Here are the effects of shadowbanning:

Low Follower Growth Rate

When visibility and engagement are reduced, it becomes harder to attract new followers. Since new people won't be able to see your posts and accounts, those who have seen your account through shared content, hashtags, or the explore feed will not see it. This will result in a slower growth of your follower count.

Impact on Your Business and Revenue

Engagement drops will likely lead to lower brand awareness and fewer sales. You can also miss out on opportunities for sponsorships and collaborations. If a brand appears less engaging and active, it may lose the trust and credibility of its audience.

Emotional and Psychological Effects

In addition to affecting visibility and engagement, shadowbanning can also cause psychological stress. When users get shadow-banned, they can feel frustrated, isolated, and confused as they wonder what they did wrong. They can feel unfairly targeted if there is no clear communication from the platform, which can lead to low motivation to continue posting and reduced audience engagement.

Long-term Performance of Your Account

If shadowbanning continues in the long run or if you don't address the root cause, your account performance may be affected. Since social media algorithms usually reward accounts with higher engagement, low interactions can make your account less visible in the feed and search results over time. This may continue even after the shadowbanning has been lifted.

That means the impact of shadowbanning is usually long-lasting and more than a temporary dip in your account's engagement level. It can affect your account's visibility, growth, and success.

What to Do if You Are Shadowbanned

There are several steps that you can take. These include:

• Review your recent posts to ensure they align with the platform's rules. If there are some posts where you used too many or repetitive hashtags, you can clean them up.
• Reduce your activity and posting frequency to prevent any further restrictions.
• Contact the platform's support team to ask about your account status.
• You can remove third-party apps that you have connected to your account.
• Take a break from the platform. While this may not always work, you can sometimes avoid posting on the platform for several days to reset your account status.

You can reverse shadowbanning by creating content that adheres to the platform's best practices and community guidelines. While shadowbanning is often temporary, recovery can take weeks, so you need to be patient.

FAQS on Shadowbanning

Here are frequently asked questions on shadowbanning:

What's the difference between shadowbanning and content banning?

One of the questions people often ask is whether shadowbanning is the same as content banning or blocking. The answer is no, as when you get blocked or banned, your content is usually removed or restricted from certain platform features. 

Unlike shadowbanning, where your account remains active, shadowbanning significantly reduces the reach of the content. Shadowbanning is a form of content moderation that moderates some of the most prevalent social media content issues. 

How long does shadowbanning last?

The duration of a shadowban can last from a few days to weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the violation and how quickly you address the issue. During the shadow ban, you should avoid further actions that can trigger their algorithm penalties.

How do you fix a shadowban?

How you fix a shadowban will depend on the social media platform you are using. On some platforms, you must wait until the shadowban is lifted. On others, you can contact customer service to have the shadowban lifted. Ensure that you read the terms of service of each platform to determine the required steps.

Is shadowbanning real or a myth?

While shadowbanning is real, it isn't as straightforward as some people may think. The social media algorithm drastically reduces the reach of certain content without informing the user.

Which platforms are most notorious for shadowbanning content?

Some of the platforms associated with shadowbanning are X and Instagram. However, it also happens on other social media platforms where content is moderated by their algorithms, such as Facebook, X, and TikTok.

In Conclusion

Getting shadowbanned can be frustrating, particularly when you feel you have no community violations. The good news is that, in most cases, it is usually temporary. To avoid getting shadowbanned, follow the rules of the social media platforms. You should avoid posting controversial or illegal topics, ensure that you respect other users, and keep your account in good standing. If it happens, you can take a break from posting on social media. You can also read our guide on navigating short video content on Instagram and TikTok to avoid getting shadowbanned.