shadow ban

American  

[shad-oh ban] / ˈʃæd oʊ ˌbæn /

Or shadowban

noun

Digital Technology.

1. the suppressing from public view of a social media post or posts by platform moderators, without notifying the user who published the content, usually in response to a violation of the platform’s terms of service.

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Other Word Forms

• shadow ban verb (used with object)
• shadow-ban verb (used with object)
• shadowban verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of shadow ban

First recorded in 2015–20

Example Sentences

As someone involved in pole fitness, Instagram’s shadow ban has also placed limits on the work of my own community by shadow-banning pole dance videos and images, or taking down posts altogether.

From The Guardian • Nov. 8, 2019

The shadow ban meant people weren’t seeing their event promotion and were unaware of future events.

From The Guardian • Nov. 8, 2019

Launches Instagram will test a feature that allows users to shadow ban their bullies Ashley Carman reports on Instagram’s latest anti-bullying initiatives.

From The Verge • Jul. 9, 2019

Some users noticed that their tweets no longer appeared in search results and suggested that their content was being hidden, known as a "shadow ban".

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2018