Shadow Ban
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani actress Mahira Khan’s Instagram account was subjected to a shadow ban. It rendered her posts and comments invisible to other users.
The ban was imposed after she expressed solidarity with Palestine. Mahira herself disclosed this development through a platform story. She had conveyed her support for Palestinian children during the ongoing conflict.
A shadow ban is a covert method employed by social media platforms or online forums to block a user without their awareness.
It effectively rendering their posts and comments invisible to other users.
Notably, the social media giant Meta has imposed shadow bans on numerous individuals who have shown support for Palestine, and several pages expressing solidarity with Palestine have been restricted or blocked.
Earlier, Meta Platforms, the company that owns Facebook, has introduced temporary measures to restrict comments that might be seen as “unwelcome or unwanted” on posts related to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Meta disclosed that it will change the default settings for news and public posts made in the region, allowing only friends and followers to comment.
This is an effort to manage potentially contentious discussions on sensitive subjects, though Meta did not specify the exact boundaries of the region.
Users have the option to opt-out and modify this setting at their discretion. Additionally, Meta will hide the first one or two comments on posts, which are typically visible when browsing the Facebook feed.
Meta emphasized that these policies are meant to ensure user safety and provide a platform for free expression.
They stated that these policies are applied consistently worldwide and denied intentionally suppressing any particular voices.
Some users had earlier accused Meta of suppressing their content when expressing support for Palestine or Gaza, as Meta designates Hamas as a “dangerous organization” and bans content praising it.
Furthermore, issues were reported on Instagram, with some users’ posts and stories about Palestine not receiving views.
