📖 Content moderation glossary
What is a ban in moderation?
In short
A ban is a sanction that prevents a user from posting, commenting or accessing a community, either for a limited period (temporary ban or suspension) or permanently.
Bans target authors rather than individual messages. They are used for repeat offenders, spam accounts, and serious violations such as threats or doxxing. Most platforms let page owners ban a user from their page, which blocks further comments.
Example: a user has had six comments hidden in a week for insulting other readers of a news site. Instead of hiding each new one, the moderation team applies a 30-day suspension and tells the user why.
Because a ban is a heavier measure, it calls for a clear rule, a warning where possible and a record of the reasons. For online platforms, the Digital Services Act provides for a statement of reasons when an account is suspended or terminated (Article 17) and the possibility to contest the decision through an internal complaint-handling system (Article 20).