The Shadow Ban Saga Continues...

Instagram de-platformed our account without issuing a single warning

Yesterday it became apparent Meta was conducting a sweep of truth telling, freedom fighter accounts including Jordan Peterson, James Lindsay, and others.

If you can’t find us on IG or you’ve had the same issue of being shadow banned or deplatformed, read on to see how our social media team is finding ways around the algorithm and tips to challenging “community standard” take downs.

Monday Morning
We got caught in this sweep as we attempted to access our primary Instagram account under the username @TheUnityProjectOnline and suddenly found ourselves with this message.

Initially, we didn’t think very much about it due to the fact that Instagram did this same invasive measure to our backup account a few days prior. They gave us the same reasoning for both times too, “fraud and deception”.

Instagram seriously wanted us to upload a verification selfie? You’ve got to be joking!

TIP: Luckily, our team found a workaround and uploaded a sheet of paper with the code and a message that restated our username along with a message stating “This is a business/creator account. We will not be uploading a selfie.”

BOOM we regained access to our 2.0 backup account within moments.

After regaining control of the 2.0 account, we discovered that no posts had been marked as fraudulent or dishonest. Please note that we post the same content on both accounts.

Sadly, we did not experience this same good fortune with our main account, which has more than 12.6k followers. This time, after attempting to follow the same procedures our account is gone without a single warning.

Now when we log in we get this message…

Or…

Instagram offers a shake feature to submit an issue within the account but anytime we attempt to report the problem to their team we are told “Sorry, your request was unable to be submitted.”

Oh, the joys of being on these heavily censored platforms…

If you would like to follow us and the work that we share on Instagram, for now, you can find us at @theunityproject2.0.

SHADOW BANNING TIPS AND TRICKS

Shadow banning on Instagram is a practice where the platform limits the visibility of a user's content without their knowledge. This can happen for a variety of reasons, often related to perceived violations of Instagram's community guidelines or algorithmic measures. Here's why people get shadow banned and how to avoid it: 

1. Violating Instagram's Community Guidelines: 

• Posting inappropriate or explicit content. 

• Using hate speech or engaging in bullying, harassment, or hate speech. 

• Sharing misleading or false information. 

• Engaging in spammy behavior like excessive posting or repetitive comments. 

2. Automation and Bot Activity: 

• Using automation tools or bots to artificially inflate engagement (likes, comments, follows, etc.). 

• Mass following/unfollowing accounts in a short period. 

• Using third-party apps or services that violate Instagram's terms of service. 

4. Engagement Manipulation: 

• Excessive engagement pods or engagement groups. 

• Encouraging or participating in artificial engagement like "like-for-like" or "follow-for-follow." 

To avoid getting shadow banned on Instagram, you can take the following steps: 

1. Follow Instagram's Community Guidelines: 

• Be mindful of the content you post and engage with on the platform. Avoid hate speech, harassment, and misleading information. 
  

2. Hashtag Abuse

• Using irrelevant or banned hashtags. 

• Using the same set of hashtags repeatedly across multiple posts. 

• Posting content that violates Instagram's guidelines under popular or trending hashtags. 

• Use Hashtags Wisely: These are hashtags and/or words in captions we have found to shadow ban accounts and posts.

Covid-19 | Vaccine | Pandemic | mRNA | Drag Queen | Porn | Groomer Innocent/Innocence  | Trans | LGBTQ | Police | Non-binary | Police | Ugly |Amen

3. Avoid Automation: 

• Do not use automation tools, bots, or third-party services that violate Instagram's terms of service. 

• Avoid excessive liking, following, or commenting in a short period. 

4. Natural Engagement: 

• Build genuine engagement with your followers. Focus on authentic interactions, not artificial tactics. 

• Avoid engagement pods or groups that artificially boost your engagement. 

5. Monitor Your Activity: 

• Regularly check your activity on Instagram and ensure it complies with their guidelines. 

• If you suspect you may have been shadow banned, stop any questionable activities and give it some time. 

6. Report and Appeal: 

• If you believe you've been unfairly shadow banned, you can report the issue to Instagram through their support channels and seek assistance. 

Instagram's algorithms and policies can change, so it's crucial to stay updated on their guidelines to ensure you don't violate them unintentionally. Shadow bans can be temporary, so taking corrective actions and abiding by Instagram's rules will help restore your visibility on the platform over time. 

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our Substack subscribers. Your unwavering support means the world to us, and it's what keeps us motivated to provide you with insightful, thought-provoking content. Your commitment allows us to continue doing the work we are doing…we truly appreciate every click, like, and comment you share.