Instagram has launched a new tool that reveals your posts barred from being recommended to other users.
Previously, users weren’t pre informed about intervention by a platform indicating posts did not appear in other user’s feeds – a process termed as “shadow banning”.
The social media platform does not use the term ‘shadow banning’ . It calls it ‘the new tool’ that informs Instagram users about restrictions on their account as a result of violating certain rules on the platform.
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, described the decision as “transparent”.
Sometimes your account can end up in a state where it’s not eligible for your photos and videos to show up in [our] recommendations. he mentioned.
If you have posted things that violate our ‘recommendability’ guidelines or recommendation guidelines… you can end up in a state where your content won’t be recommended. Mr Mosseri added.
A content moderation researcher at the Centre For Digital Citizens at Northumbria University, Dr Carolina Are, has mentioned that Instagram has historically had a major issue with people having posts ‘hidden’ without their knowledge.
The platform did not notify us about shadow banning.
For ages, Instagram denied that it was ever a thing. She said.
Dr Are is also a content creator on Instagram, grumbled about the experience where where she often posts videos as a pole dance instructor – and says…
I personally received an apology [from Instagram] for the shadow ban of pole-dancing in 2019, she said.
They said the hashtags were blocked ‘in error’… this is essentially shadow banning.
Shadow banning can be a problem because if people are not told they have fallen foul of the rules, it means they’re unable to appeal the decision or fix any mistake.
It can sometime lead to amusing consequences, with one Reddit user previously telling the BBC he didn’t know he’d been shadow banned.
What to Do if You Are Shadow Banned
Instagram users, however; have the chance to edit or delete posts which are believed to have violated the platform’s rules.
Users can as well appeal to Instagram if such content has been flagged in error to prove their innocence.
How to Check
People can check the status of their account in the Instagram app by selecting their profile, opening the menu, then selecting: settings, account, and account status.
One can also search with hashtag and results such as ‘Recent posts for #s n a p ch a t are hidden because some posts may not follow Instagram’s Community Guidelines’ points to the fact you may have been shadow banned.
