Shadowban

Shadowbanning refers to the practice of secretly limiting or suppressing the visibility of a user's content or account on a social media platform without notifying the user that any action has been taken. A shadowbanned user may continue to post normally, but their content becomes invisible or significantly harder to discover for other users. Platforms may use shadowbanning as a content moderation tool to reduce the spread of guideline-violating content without triggering direct confrontation. Shadowbanning raises serious concerns about procedural fairness and transparency, particularly for marginalized communities and disability advocates who have reported having legitimate content suppressed without explanation, and for disability-related content that automated systems may incorrectly classify as harmful (such as discussions of feeding tubes, eating disorders, or self-medication).