10 signs your account is being 'squeezed'

Shadowbanning, also known as 'shadowbanning,' means you've been blocked from social media without even realizing it. You may think you're active, but in reality, very few people, if any, can see your activity.

 

It's hard to know for sure whether you've been 'silently banned,' or if your content simply isn't interesting enough. But if these signs sound familiar, you might be stuck in an invisible online prison. Here are some easy-to-recognize signs that your account's engagement is being throttled.

1. The amount of interaction suddenly plummeted

If you're used to getting a lot of likes, shares, and comments, and then they all suddenly disappear overnight, that's a huge red flag.

 

Sure, everyone has a 'down week' on social media, or you may just be the victim of an algorithm change. But if your posting habits haven't changed and the drop is sudden and dramatic, it might be bad news for you.

 

2. People say they can't find your post

When friends or followers message you asking questions like "why did you delete that post?" or "why can't I find your account anymore", this is almost a clear sign that you've been "squeezed".

You can check yourself by using a clone account or asking someone to look for it for you. However, don't worry too much, sometimes this is just a temporary technical problem. But if a few days have passed and your account is still "missing", there is a high chance that you are blacklisted.

3. Hashtags are no longer effective

While hashtags aren't as powerful as they once were, they're still a great way to get involved in a specific conversation. If there's a trending hashtag that everyone's using, but your posts aren't getting the engagement they usually do, it could be a sign that you're being "squeezed."

You can use a secondary account to search for that hashtag to see if your post shows up. If not, there's a good chance the platform is secretly restricting your account.

4. Can't find yourself after logging out

In addition to asking friends or using clone accounts to check, you should also try to find your account when you are not logged in. Turn on incognito mode on your browser, then go to that social networking site and try to search for your account to see if it appears.

 

This is because incognito mode hides your identity from the site, allowing you to see what a neutral viewer would see, which can help detect "silent bans."

5. Your comment or reply is hidden

This is a relatively new feature. Sometimes your comments on other people's posts aren't hidden at all, but instead are placed in a "hidden reply" section that other people have to click through to see. Comments that get put in this section are usually from bots, low-quality accounts, or problematic accounts.

It's okay if it happens occasionally, but if every comment you make, no matter how harmless, gets "thrown out," there's a good chance your entire account is being targeted by the platform.

 

6. No one is interacting beyond your core followers

Most of us have a small group of accounts that we interact with regularly. When you are 'silently banned,' the platform often keeps these interactions from happening so you don't notice. If you mostly chat with a small group of close friends, you may not even realize you've been 'isolated' from the rest of the community.

However, if you look back over the past few months and realize that only a few familiar people have repeatedly interacted with you and no strangers, that's a red flag.

7. Statistics show you are "autistic"

While the platform may silently 'ban' you, if you have access to analytics tools (like X Analytics), you can clearly see your engagement plummeting on the graph. Unless the platform is also falsifying your numbers, this is pretty much foolproof.

8. Your posts are delayed or not appearing on your timeline

Another obvious sign is that your posts are appearing, but with a huge delay. Your followers will see your posts, but not for a day or two. For your followers, it can also be inconsistent which posts are showing up. The only way to know is to ask your followers directly.

9. You've been a bit "harsh" online lately.

 

Most of the time, the reason for a 'silent ban' is unclear. But sometimes, you know exactly what you did. If you've been a little 'troublesome' online lately or gotten into a fight, you may be facing a penalty. You don't even have to be the one to start the fight, just being 'involved' is enough.

Think about it, if you know you've been "naughty" online, chances are you've been "silently banned." All you can do is wait it out or switch to another platform.

10. No explanation or warning received

The most frustrating thing about engagement throttling is that you're never notified. You don't know why, you don't know how long it will last, and there's nothing you can do to appeal. You're essentially ignored and left out of the game by the platform itself.

Worse, companies won't even admit that they're shadowbanning you. They may use vague terms, hide behind algorithms, but never outright say that some users are being marginalized. So we're left wondering whether or not we're actually being shadowbanned.