How to check if your Instagram post dey hidden alias 'shadow ban'

Instagram don launch one new tool wey go fit let you know if your posts don chop ban sotey oda users no fit see am.

Before now, dem no dey tell pipo if intervention by a platform mean say posts no appear for pipo feeds - a process wey dey known as "shadow banning".

Instagram no dey use dat term. Dem say di new tool go inform users if restrictions dey for dia account because dem break certain rules.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, say di decision na all about "transparency"

"Sometimes your account fit end up for a state where e no dey eligible for your photos and videos to show up for our recommendations," e tok.

"If you don post things wey violate our 'recommendability' guidelines or recommendation guidelines... you fit end up for a state where dem no go recommend your content," Mosseri explain.

Instagram users go dey able to edit or delete posts wey don no follow di latform rules.

Dem go also dey able to appeal to Instagram if dem feel say error dey for di flagging of any content.

Pipo fit check di status of dia account for di Instagram app by selecting dia profile, open di menu, then select: settings, account, and account status.

Di problem of shadow banning

Dr Carolina Are, one content moderation researcher for di Centre For Digital Citizens for Northumbria University, say Instagram don historically get one major issue with pipo hiding dia post without dia knowledge.

"Di platform no notify us about shadow banning," she tok. "For ages, Instagram deny weda dis kain thing dey."

Dr Are na also a content creator on Instagram, where she often dey post videos as a pole dance instructor - and say she don experience so-called shadow banning hersef.

"I personally receive one apology [from Instagram] for di shadow ban of pole-dancing for 2019," she tok.

"Dem say di hashtags dey blocked 'in error'... dis na essentially shadow banning.

"Shadow banning fit be problem because if dem no tell pipo say dem disobey di rules, e mean say dem dey unable to appeal di decision or fix any mistake.

E fit sometime lead to amusing consequences, with one Reddit user wey don bin tell BBC say e bin no know say dem shadow ban am - and accidentally spend one year talking to imsef.

E get some benefits to di practice, however. e dey allow big tech companies to block harmful content from spreading, and thereby limit disinformation.

But Dr Are believe say dis don get unequal impact on pipo wey dey marginalise.

"I think creators dey very, very worried about shadow banning," she tok.

"So e dey fair say Instagram dey move to do something about am."

She sy di problemdey worse di more sake of lack of real pipo wey dey involve for di moderation process, wey dey often automated.

For her role as researcher, Dr Are don speak to pipo wey dem don remove dia accounts from Instagram sake of say dem violate dia policies.

She claim to don speak with some content creators wey lost dia accounts and try to appeal.

Di content creators later tell Dr Are say dem no dey able to speak to pesin wey dey involve for di moderation.

"I still think say e dey a bit of a cosmetic and performative change," she tok.

"As good as dis thing be, without investing in human moderation, we just dey go nowhere."