I lurked Reddit for a long time before creating an account which is now over 6 years old. I was a ‘Top Contributor’ and in the rewards program. 89k karma, never promoted violence or targeted any group, but I got a 7-day ban which was followed up hours later with a permanent ban. This is because of a comment criticizing Senator Radcliffe, trump, and Musk. The comment included profanity, (I called them hypocrites and cunts), but it wasn’t directed at any user or marginalized group. Just harsh political commentary.
Reddit initially issued a 7-day ban, which I appealed. That appeal was approved, the comment was restored, and they admitted it didn’t violate the rules. But the permanent ban still stands, and my follow-up appeals on that have been ignored. No explanation. No transparency. Just gone.
It’s made me realize how fragile “free speech” is on platforms like Reddit. You can insult regular users and get away with it, say horrendously racist, misogynistic, and homophobic things, but speak too plainly about powerful people and suddenly you’re promoting “hate.”
I combed through the Reddit rules, and nothing I have ever commented or posted violates them.
That’s the reason I’m here on Lemmy now. I’m trying to read more, scroll less, and engage with platforms that aren’t actively censoring political dissent. Who else is in the same boat? Is there anything that can be done to hold Reddit accountable or make people aware of they way they are censoring speech? This is my first Lemmy post. I marked it NSFW because of the profanity.
I got my 10+ year old account permabanned for saying “trans women are women”, which somehow went against their rules about promoting violence. No warning given or anything. Appeal went ignored.
Welcome in from the cold. We have hot cocoa and blankets.
Closed account myself because got tired asking to remove shadow ban for two months. I have no clue why I got shadow banned, only realized when I stopped getting replies that something is not right. Oh well, I guess it’s more useful to bookmark useful reddit links in any browser instead of being able to post and comment on a platform where nobody can even see your efforts because of shitty AI and incompetent admins. I was with them for over six years.
you can hazard a guess, but its probably indiscriminate banning, linking your account with strangers, if that stranger is banned the filters automatically assume your part of that group too and this seperate from ban evasions. im not surprised other users are not reporting this on reddit, reddit has a rule against discussing bans funny enough. one of my fragile accounts was just shadowbanned, because a mod removed a comment, because the op of that thread was joking, and thought i was trying to make a snarky-smartass comment.(your on ptgcl live, for real a game that is barely functioning.
from what weve noticed: comment removals, low karma , cqs score removal, botting,etc is an instant ban now, with no recourse.
I was able to migrate a lot of my favorite subreddits to Lemmy using the Voyager app. Maybe that could help. ☺️
Yeah, I’m using Voyager as well. Too bad i realized I can migrate my subs after closing the account.
Oh, I’m sorry. At least a lot of the most popular subreddits have communities here, so you still may find what you’re looking for. ☺️
I was already iffy about Reddit since the r/place #fuckspez whitewashing. I was never suspended - but when I learned Luigi was suddenly an “unperson” topic there, I realized that commercialized social media is inherently compromised.
I’m not swearing off FB/Insta entirely just yet, but every time I visit them I’m more and more vividly aware how tedious Meta channels are.
my facebook account went away before my reddit account. After getting mo old account banned and then two new ones right after each other I deleted my accounts and just lurked, seeing a post of one of the ICE victims being disappeared and 5 or 7 comments were supporting the police sanctioned racists made me stop lurking as well.
This Luigi?
Spez has possible ties to Epstein and was the mod of r/jailbait
Got banned for antisemitism around the time the genocide ramped up in Gaza.
And I was just criticising Israel. Things got a bit heated for the other guy apparently, and then I got brigaded and reported. I didn’t defend Hamas or advocate violence, just criticised Israel.
He probably wasn’t being authentic and was a cyber soldier meant to clean up/destroy Reddit for the AI integration
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2766
And Reddit has been implicated in shady stuff for a while: https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/r45a5n/here_is_the_evidence_that_reddit_user_maxwellhill/
i was banned from worldnews in '23 for seven days, i partially abandoned that account and went with an OLD one, which usually is more trusted. up until this year, where they decided a temp ban= we will check all the other accounts you made that participated in banned subs, and ban you for that, you this is pretty ridiculous. i think someone also mentioned your account is easily linked with a strangers if any of them get banned you get a indiscriminate ban too.
this time they said i reported too many times tech sub, something about trump so i recieved a 7day ban, then all my accounts were instantly banned, depesite the accts never going into those subs(until like 1-1years later). so they were routing out old accounts you havnt used in years. but thier bannings always increase when a GOP is in power, it was like severe version in 2017-19, now that trump is in power spez is somewhat afraid he will ge the wrath of MUSK.
Reddit bans for all kind of political commentary across the spectrum. Fuck spez. Fuck reddit.
All I can do is extend my sympathies, and tell you that you’re better off in the long run. Most people here don’t like corporate social media because of situations like yours.
Don’t worry about profanity. People swear all the time and don’t mark their posts.
I find it kind of psychologically interesting how many reddifugees self censor, either directly or through obscuring names and events. That site’s moderation is seriously screwing people up.
It’s so relaxing when you know that you don’t have the sword of Damocles hanging over you
i had to self-cesor race before and after covid. apparently calling someone black, or Demographic was justification for a ban, they think calling african americans a different name what it suppose to be is racist. its so sensitive now, other sites are doing this(forums)
This is the beginning of the downfall of reddit.
Sad to see the decline
Imo that was API-gate. But yeah this one seems to accelerate the death of it. Good thing to be gone now. It’s all about stocks now and shareholder concerns and they don’t want any critical thinking or free speech.
I have said all kinds of nasty things there about GropenFührer…I mean inmate #P01135809 and other than a few downvotes, nothing. Maybe it’s a “no warning” kind of thing?
If you are banned permanently, are you still able to edit or at least delete your existing comments or is it too late for that?
I got banned for calling a guy a “fascist sanewasher” and refusing to post an apology when a mod messaged me to tell me to apologize.
Is there anything that can be done to hold Reddit accountable or make people aware of they way they are censoring speech?
Many people on social media platforms don’t realize the spam filters can be abused by attackers to prevent certain topics from being mentioned. And on front-page subreddits they do not publish comments, they look published if you are logged in, but if you check from off-axis they are unpublished. I’ve been posting some of them here and on Bluesky, but nobody cares (on Bluesky, but people have here) [email protected] maybe some tech press will cover it.
Lifetime (of the person) bans on Reddit for individual subreddits and accounts are dumb. That sites been around for decades. I can only image how many people got banned there at age 16 and are completely different people at age 22. I never see people bring this kind of criticism up.
from what ive heard, subreddit bans are usually 1 year, but it can be lifetime in some circumstances, now it can be anything can be lifetime. its pretty clear they are randomly doing it as well. reddit will look very empty if they get rid of all thier trolls and bots.
Welcome weary traveler!
As lemmy’s self-designated High Corvid of Progressivity, I extend to you the traditional Fediversal blessing of:
remember kids:
A place in heaven is reserved for those who speak truth to power
Luigi ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I was permanently banned for “inciting violence” by saying how great it would be if a meteor crashed down on Mike Johnson. A meteor….
I was banned for a week for saying I hope Jill stein bangs her shin on every coffee table she walks past for the rest of her life
