Shadowban & Visibility Reduction Policy

1. Purpose & Scope

Vibble uses visibility reduction as a targeted integrity tool to:

• Reduce harm from borderline or recurring abusive content
• Limit amplification of spam, scams, and platform manipulation
• Protect users from brigading, harassment, and reply abuse
• Preserve legitimate speech while mitigating reach-based harm

2. Types of Visibility Actions

Depending on the behavior, Vibble may apply one or more of the following:

• Down-ranking: Lower ranking in home timelines, replies, search, and Explore.
• Limited Recommendations: Exclusion from “who to follow,” Explore, or trend amplifiers.
• Reply Demotion: Abusive or low-quality replies shown “View more replies” or hidden behind click-through.
• Conversation Controls: Restricting who can reply or be visible in a specific thread.
• Shadow Reply Limits: High-volume or abusive repliers receive local visibility but limited broader exposure.

3. Triggers for Visibility Reduction

Visibility limits may be triggered by:

• Repeated posting of borderline content that does not fully meet removal thresholds
• Verified harassment, targeted pile-ons, or organized reply abuse
• Spam patterns, link farms, or excessive promotional posting
• Misleading or low-quality engagement tactics (“engagement bait”)
• Accounts with a history of policy violations or ongoing investigations

4. Shadowbans vs. Explicit Restrictions

Vibble distinguishes between:

• Explicit Restrictions: The user is notified that posting, messaging, or replying has been limited.
• Integrity-Based De-boosting (Informal “Shadowban”): Content technically remains accessible but is less likely to be recommended, shown in replies, or boosted.

Where compatible with safety and legal constraints, Vibble aims to provide clear explanations in the account’s Safety Center when visibility limitations are in effect.

5. Safety & Harassment Controls

Visibility limits are particularly important in:

• Reply chains targeting a single individual with harassment
• Dog-piling, mass quote-post attacks, or brigading campaigns
• Targeting minorities, activists, journalists, or public officials

In these scenarios, Vibble may:

• De-prioritize abusive replies
• Promote replies from followed or verified accounts above hostile replies
• Throttle the visibility of repeated or low-effort harassment posts

6. Misinformation & Crisis Content

For elections, public health crises, or sensitive events, content may be:

• Down-ranked if flagged as misleading but not yet fully verified
• Labelled with context panels or fact-check information
• Excluded from recommendations while under review

7. Duration & Review

Visibility limitations may:

• Apply for a fixed period (e.g., 7–30 days)
• Remain active while investigation is ongoing
• Be lifted after manual review or successful appeal

8. Appeals & User Feedback

Users may appeal visibility restrictions where:

• They believe a mistake has been made
• Context was misunderstood (e.g., satire, quotes, counterspeech)
• New evidence or clarification can demonstrate compliance

Appeals are evaluated by a specialized policy and safety team.

9. Transparency & Reporting

Aggregate statistics about visibility restrictions, de-boosting, and other integrity measures will be included in:

• Transparency Reports
• Annual Safety & Integrity Reports
• Algorithmic Accountability disclosures

10. Contact

For questions about visibility, ranking, or suspected shadowbans:

Safety & Integrity: safety@vibble.com
Transparency Office: transparency@vibble.com
Nexa Group Compliance: compliance@nexa-group.org