📖 Content moderation glossary
What is a shadowban?
In short
A shadowban is a restriction in which a user's content is hidden from others or made less visible without the user being clearly informed, so they keep posting without realising nobody sees it.
Shadowbanning is attractive to moderators because it quietly neutralises spammers and trolls without provoking them. On social networks, the term is also used more loosely by users who believe their reach has been reduced without explanation.
Example: on a forum, a persistent spammer's posts remain visible to him but not to anyone else. On Facebook, hiding a comment produces a similar effect: the comment remains visible to its author and their friends, but not to other visitors.
The practice is controversial because it lacks transparency. Under the Digital Services Act, hosting services must give affected users a statement of reasons when they restrict the visibility of their content, including demotion, unless an exception applies (Article 17). Organisations should therefore be careful with silent restrictions and keep a record of why each decision was taken.