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Abstract

</p><p id="6fe1">The only sensitive text in the post was the phrase “threat of a global recession.” Beyond that there’s nothing in the post that could have caused the ban. That’s why you have to be careful what you say.</p><h1 id="2b69">Comment shadow bans</h1><p id="d332">Shadow bans can happen from leaving comments, too.</p><p id="6769">A few weeks ago I got another shadowban for a comment that said something along the lines of “learn more by clicking this link to get what you deserve in your career.”</p><p id="01cc">The “get what you deserve” triggered a shadowban within seconds.</p><p id="0a33">On the night of the previous US election I wrote on LinkedIn something similar to “Hope Biden wins today.”</p><p id="9cf8">Within seconds I got banned.</p><p id="f4e9">Social media had been weaponized by a certain Donald Duck and LinkedIn was simply trying to ensure he (or his supporters) didn’t do the same on their platform. Makes sense.</p><p id="45f9">This is the world we live in.</p><p id="cc3c">I don’t think any of this is intentional by the way. We’ve just overcompensated with moderation on most popular social media platforms. And unless you know the game as I do, you’ll likely get a shadowban.</p><p id="9220">If you want to see extreme examples of shadow bans, then go to Twitter and look up any Bitcoin influencer such as @ 100TrillionUSD.</p><p id="f136">All of them are shadowbanned for talking about the popular cryptocurrency.</p><p id="196f">They have to go to extreme lengths in the comments below their tweets to fight the problem.</p><h1 id="ec42">How I feel about the problem of social media bans</h1><p id="c87d">Not going to lie, this sucks.</p><p id="675d">I will spend the next few days on my knees, begging <a href="https://readmedium.com/your-writing-can-go-viral-regularly-with-only-200-words-35c369196c49">LinkedIn</a> for a reason as to why I got banned. They probably won’t tell me. They will likely give my account back (again).</p><p id="6f66">It’s such a huge stress.</p><p id="2d01">I run an online business and social media is a big part of what I do. To get permanently banned would be disastrous.</p><p id="8dfb">It’s why I always preach to every person who uses social media to appear on multiple platforms.</p><p id="6832">I’m not angry at LinkedIn though. They usually handle these situations like pros, although I’ve been luckier than other people I know.</p><p id="39d6">Big lesson: you don’t own your social media accounts.</p><h1 id="7165">What to do if you get banned on social media</h1><p id="7784">If you use these platforms it will happen to you. Guaranteed. Here’s my blueprint to copy.</p><h2 id="9 # Options 5f9">1. Don’t panic. Don’t get angry. Don’t get emotional.</h2><p id="5960">Take a deep breath. Walk away from your computer. Scream into your arm so no one hears you. Then … pick yourself up and get on with it.</p><h2 id="cfbb">2. Reach out to LinkedIn support.</h2><p id="b81b">If you can’t login to your account then send them a direct message on Twitter (@ LinkedInHelp).</p><p id="a812">When I did this I got an answer within 5 minutes.</p><p id="bdbb">They told me my account was shadowbanned, although they don’t handle the issue directly. Be patient. It takes 1–3 business days to hear back. In the meantime, you won’t be able to do anything on LinkedIn.</p><p id="3925">Use that time to level up on Twitter as an insurance policy.</p><h2 id="a1e2">3. Don’t be an ass</h2><p id="9e3a">If you’re rude or threaten lawyers I can guarantee your LinkedIn account will be gone for good. Don’t do this. Do what my <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-grandma-died-at-104-years-old-here-are-the-eloquent-life-lessons-she-taught-me-3a48379f038e">104-year-old grandma</a> used to drill into my head: treat ’em with kindness.</p><p id="cfb8">Talk to them like humans, because they are. LinkedIn support is by far the best customer service I’ve ever used.</p><p id="4ccd"><i>They</i> didn’t ban you. Stupid robots did.</p><h2 id="6a74">4. Get a paid subscription</h2><p id="3342">I believe that a paid LinkedIn subscription is a good investment. They’re less likely to ban a paying customer, especially if you didn’t break their rules.</p><h2 id="8e46">5. Understand this golden rule</h2><p id="9740">Controversial topics can <a href="https://readmedium.com/linkedin-is-accidentally-banning-its-content-creators-a13b6887bc80">get you banned on LinkedIn</a>.</p><p id="1f67">If you write about social justice, religion, or politics there’s a good chance you’ll experience a ban — fast.</p><p id="6d5a">LinkedIn is the equivalent of being in a meeting with your boss and colleagues. You wouldn’t throw mud at the President of the United States in front of your boss.</p><p id="201f">You might do it after the meeting, though, by the water cooler on Twitter.</p><h1 id="697d">Closing Thought</h1><p id="efa5">The main hazard of the internet is getting banned from the services you use to live your life.</p><p id="49da">There isn’t a judicial system that sorts this stuff out (yet). All you can do is be a good citizen and try not to spread any mind viruses.</p><p id="5126">Let’s hope LinkedIn gives me my career back.</p><p id="9f3e"><a href="http://timdenning.com/mb/"><b>Join my email list with 50K+ people to learn more about LinkedIn.</b></a></p></article></body>

I Just Got Banned From LinkedIn (For The 6th Time)

Lessons everybody with a LinkedIn profile must read

When life is good you can get slapped in the face.

I got up early today, determined to get a headstart and crush my to-do list. Five minutes later my productivity was nuked.

After 8 years of writing online every day, I’ve become an expert at knowing when something breaks on social media.

Let me explain as this article affects everybody with a LinkedIn account.

“One impression” is a red flag

Some of you post on LinkedIn and some of you don’t. For those who do, if you ever get one impression (aka one view) on a post, you’ve probably been shadowbanned. That’s what happened to me. This post below was the cause.

A shadowban is where you can still login to LinkedIn (or any social media platform) but your content can’t get seen. Your LinkedIn profile also stops appearing in search results on the platform and even in google searches.

Normally, within a few hours of your profile becoming invisible, you will no longer be able to login. You’ll be presented with a login screen asking you for a driver’s license or passport.

This is when your heart sinks.

Your entire work network, resume, and career experience can be wiped from existence. If you’re a creator like me then the consequences are even more severe.

The first time this happened I cried like a baby.

The cause of shadowbans

All major social media platforms run machine learning and automation to moderate content.

This ban I got happened so fast that it’s 100% the result of automation.

The only sensitive text in the post was the phrase “threat of a global recession.” Beyond that there’s nothing in the post that could have caused the ban. That’s why you have to be careful what you say.

Comment shadow bans

Shadow bans can happen from leaving comments, too.

A few weeks ago I got another shadowban for a comment that said something along the lines of “learn more by clicking this link to get what you deserve in your career.”

The “get what you deserve” triggered a shadowban within seconds.

On the night of the previous US election I wrote on LinkedIn something similar to “Hope Biden wins today.”

Within seconds I got banned.

Social media had been weaponized by a certain Donald Duck and LinkedIn was simply trying to ensure he (or his supporters) didn’t do the same on their platform. Makes sense.

This is the world we live in.

I don’t think any of this is intentional by the way. We’ve just overcompensated with moderation on most popular social media platforms. And unless you know the game as I do, you’ll likely get a shadowban.

If you want to see extreme examples of shadow bans, then go to Twitter and look up any Bitcoin influencer such as @ 100TrillionUSD.

All of them are shadowbanned for talking about the popular cryptocurrency.

They have to go to extreme lengths in the comments below their tweets to fight the problem.

How I feel about the problem of social media bans

Not going to lie, this sucks.

I will spend the next few days on my knees, begging LinkedIn for a reason as to why I got banned. They probably won’t tell me. They will likely give my account back (again).

It’s such a huge stress.

I run an online business and social media is a big part of what I do. To get permanently banned would be disastrous.

It’s why I always preach to every person who uses social media to appear on multiple platforms.

I’m not angry at LinkedIn though. They usually handle these situations like pros, although I’ve been luckier than other people I know.

Big lesson: you don’t own your social media accounts.

What to do if you get banned on social media

If you use these platforms it will happen to you. Guaranteed. Here’s my blueprint to copy.

1. Don’t panic. Don’t get angry. Don’t get emotional.

Take a deep breath. Walk away from your computer. Scream into your arm so no one hears you. Then … pick yourself up and get on with it.

2. Reach out to LinkedIn support.

If you can’t login to your account then send them a direct message on Twitter (@ LinkedInHelp).

When I did this I got an answer within 5 minutes.

They told me my account was shadowbanned, although they don’t handle the issue directly. Be patient. It takes 1–3 business days to hear back. In the meantime, you won’t be able to do anything on LinkedIn.

Use that time to level up on Twitter as an insurance policy.

3. Don’t be an ass

If you’re rude or threaten lawyers I can guarantee your LinkedIn account will be gone for good. Don’t do this. Do what my 104-year-old grandma used to drill into my head: treat ’em with kindness.

Talk to them like humans, because they are. LinkedIn support is by far the best customer service I’ve ever used.

They didn’t ban you. Stupid robots did.

4. Get a paid subscription

I believe that a paid LinkedIn subscription is a good investment. They’re less likely to ban a paying customer, especially if you didn’t break their rules.

5. Understand this golden rule

Controversial topics can get you banned on LinkedIn.

If you write about social justice, religion, or politics there’s a good chance you’ll experience a ban — fast.

LinkedIn is the equivalent of being in a meeting with your boss and colleagues. You wouldn’t throw mud at the President of the United States in front of your boss.

You might do it after the meeting, though, by the water cooler on Twitter.

Closing Thought

The main hazard of the internet is getting banned from the services you use to live your life.

There isn’t a judicial system that sorts this stuff out (yet). All you can do is be a good citizen and try not to spread any mind viruses.

Let’s hope LinkedIn gives me my career back.

Join my email list with 50K+ people to learn more about LinkedIn.