Internet
shadowban
What does shadowban mean?
When a platform silently restricts how many people see your posts — your replies don't surface, your hashtags don't show, your follower count stalls — without ever telling you it's happening. Officially denied, constantly alleged.
"My reach tanked overnight; I'm convinced I got shadowbanned for that one Israel reply."
Origin
Coined on early web forums (mid-2000s) as 'hellbanning,' it migrated to social platforms as 'shadowban' once users suspected Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok of invisibly demoting them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a shadowban?
A shadowban is quietly throttling an account's visibility without telling the user.
How do you use shadowban in a sentence?
"My posts stopped getting views overnight — I think I've been shadowbanned."
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