Shadowban on Instagram is a punishment that hides profile posts in the feed and the search for hashtags, making it difficult to view the content of those who disregard the rules. If the number of likes and interactions on your Instagram posts drops overnight, you may have been shadowbanned. Also known as ghosting, the practice is carried out by the social network to punish users who disrespect the terms of use.
The term shadowban gained momentum in 2019, after pole dance professionals accused Instagram of hiding posts marked with hashtags referring to the practice of dancing. At the time, according to Yahoo, the social network stated that the blocking of pole dance tags occurred by mistake and apologized to the dancers affected by the bug. Understand below what it is, why shadowban happens, how to get out, how to know if you are in it and how to avoid the penalty.
Everything about shadowban on Instagram
Techidence has gathered six pieces of information about shadowbanning on Instagram below. Next, check out the topics that will be covered in this list.
1. What is shadowban on Instagram?
Shadowbanning is the practice used by Instagram to punish accounts that violate the platform's terms of use. The penalty consists of blocking the user's content in the search tool and in their followers' feed.
It is still possible to check the account's posts by directly accessing the profile, but the post is not distributed, which reduces its reach. Instagram does not notify the profile of the punishment – often, the suspicious account only realizes that it has been shadowbanned after noticing a sharp drop in engagement on the social network.
2. Why does Instagram practice shadowbanning?
The action of “shadowbanning” it is a way for Instagram to control content that may in some way violate the social network's policies. The most common cause of shadowban is the indexing of posts with banned or under review hashtags. Even if the content posted does not go against Instagram's guidelines, the inclusion of the banned tag is enough to alert the social network that the content on that profile is suspicious.
Hashtags banned from Instagram refer to topics banned from social media, such as sexually explicit themes, drugs, trafficking, hate speech, among others. Sometimes the tag itself is not inappropriate, but it has a high report rate at the time of posting. This was the case, for example, of the popular #sextou, used by foreigners to share pornography last year. In response, Instagram temporarily blocked the hashtag.
Using a massive amount of hashtags can also lead to this blocking – Instagram allows a maximum of 30 tags per post. Buying followers and likes to increase a profile's popularity and visibility also increases the risk of being banned on Instagram.
3. Shadowban and pole dancing
Pole dancers began to suspect the Instagram shadowban in May 2019, according to comments from dancers on Pole Press, a virtual community aimed at pole dancers. In light of this, a petition was created on Change.org calling for an end to Instagram's penalty. Critics have questioned the social network's attitude to blocking harmless content, while the platform faces critical problems in containing risky posts about suicide, hate speech and terrorism.
Pole dance instructor Elizabeth Blanchard posted on her Facebook page a list of hashtags that other dancers should avoid in their posts to avoid being shadowbanned on Instagram. According to Yahoo's findings, the social photo network apologized for blocking hashtags, caused by a bug.
4. Suspected shadowban targets?
The main suspicion that an account is shadowbanned is when interactions with posts decrease drastically for no apparent reason. Receiving fewer comments and likes than usual may be an indication that posts are not being distributed on social media.
As the shadowban prevents the post from appearing in searches for marked hashtags, it is possible to confirm on your own whether your profile is under Instagram punishment. To do this, create a new account (it must not have any connection on the platform with the allegedly penalized user) and search for one of the hashtags used by your profile.
If no recent posts from you appear, your account is probably shadowbanned. If your photo doesn't appear for only certain tags, they may be being reported. Avoid using them again.
5. How to avoid shadowban
The best way to avoid shadowbanning is to follow all policies and terms determined by Instagram. Do not make use of paid or automated services for account growth as Instagram only supports organic, clean and free growth.
Before including hashtags in posts, confirm that they are not underreported on the social network. To do this, simply search for the hashtag on Instagram and scroll to the bottom of the page. If no warning message is displayed, the tag in question is within the social network's usage policy.
When your account is shadowbanned, remove all hashtags used in your latest photos via the caption editing tool. Typically, the shadowban lasts between 24 hours and a few weeks once the user starts following all the policies correctly. Instagram favors accounts that are active on the network, so the more active you are, the faster your account can get back to normal.
6. How to get out of shadowban on Instagram?
If your account is shadowbanned, some tips can help reverse the situation. Check out some recommendations below:
- Stop using hashtags for a few days: This will allow the Instagram algorithm to “forget” your posts that have been shadowbanned. Some experts recommend that you stop using hashtags for at least 48 hours;
- Remove low-quality hashtags: If you've used hashtags that Instagram considers spam or low quality, remove them from your posts. This can help reduce the shadowban effect;
- Review your posts: Review your posts for content that may be at odds with Instagram's usage guidelines. This may include images or captions that contain nudity, violence, hate speech, or other things that violate Instagram policies;
- Stop using automation tools: If you are using automation tools like comment bots or auto followers, stop using them immediately. These tools are often considered spam by Instagram and can contribute to shadowbanning;
- Contact Instagram support: If you have tried all the practices above and are still facing shadowban, please contact Instagram support through their help pages. They can help clear up any issues that may be affecting your account and potentially resolve the shadowban. Find out how to contact Instagram.
