Are all new Twitter accounts shadowbanned?

Based on my experience, I’ve noticed new Twitter accounts, especially those created after January 1, 2023, face initial shadowbanning, unlike my account from December 2022 which didn’t encounter any sign-up warnings or shadowban issues.

My focus isn’t on politics or public figures like Elon Musk; I’m interested in the business use of Twitter, where being shadowbanned doesn’t help. I support the push for authentic human interaction on Twitter, as indicated by the universal “prove you’re human” warning for new accounts.

I set up three new accounts in January, all of which received automatic human verification warnings. To address this, I verified two with my phone numbers and ensured all activities aimed at human-like interactions. Interestingly, engaging my new accounts with each other and my older account organically lifted the shadowbans, highlighting the importance of genuine engagement.

Why can newly-created Twitter accounts be shadowbanned? What could be the reasons?

Newly created Twitter accounts might face shadowbanning for several reasons, primarily aimed at combating spam and ensuring the authenticity of interactions on the platform.

Here are some common reasons why a new account could be shadowbanned:

• Suspicious Activity (Rapid following or unfollowing, tweeting at an unusually high frequency, or engaging in spam-like behaviors can trigger alarms.)
• Automated Behavior: (Using bots or automated services to tweet, follow, or engage can lead to a shadowban as Twitter emphasizes genuine human interaction.)
• Content Repetition: (Posting identical or very similar content repeatedly, including the excessive use of hashtags and mentions, can be perceived as spam.)
• Violating Twitter Rules: (Infringing on Twitter’s community guidelines or terms of service, such as engaging in abusive behavior, promoting hate speech, or sharing misleading information.)
• Suspicious Sign-up Patterns: (Creating multiple accounts in a short period or displaying patterns commonly associated with spam accounts during the sign-up process.)
• Unusual Engagement Patterns: (Receiving a high volume of complaints, blocks, or mutes from other users can signal problematic behavior to Twitter’s algorithms.)

How to avoid shadowbans on Twitter

From my learning curve, here’s how to sidestep shadowbans:

• Avoid spam-like behavior by limiting tags, hashtags, and daily tweets.
• Ensure every tweet is unique in text and imagery to prevent being marked as spam.
• Engage minimally with hashtags, avoid repetitive content, and steer clear of aggressive following or retweeting.
• Additionally, engaging too much with non-followers or using automated tweets can flag your account.

My strategy of organic cross-engagement between my accounts has proven effective, suggesting real, varied interactions are key to maintaining a healthy Twitter presence free from shadowbans.

If you are suspicious about being shadowbanned on Twitter, how can you find out?

If you think you are shadowbanned on Twitter, it is quite easy to check your status with Circleboom’s Twitter Shadowban Checker.

You will enter your Twitter username and Circleboom will tell you if you are shadowbanned in seconds:

There are also other tools to check your shadowban status like Yuzurisa.

Before and After Elon Musk

Before Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, registering for an account often necessitated providing a phone number to complete the signup process, although occasionally users could bypass this step. Nonetheless, even those who managed to avoid it initially might find their account abruptly locked shortly after browsing the homepage or conducting a search, citing “suspicious activity” as the reason when reaching out to support, hinting at the system’s suspicion of the account being spam without clear explanation from Twitter on the specific cause.

Following Musk’s takeover, the signup procedure was modified to eliminate the phone number requirement, replacing it with a puzzle solution and email verification. This change seems aimed at simplifying access to the platform, perhaps to increase user numbers, yet it appears new accounts are still monitored closely to discern between bots and genuine users.
In a similar test with an account barely two weeks old, heavy tweeting led to an account lock, demanding a phone number for restoration. The criteria for what Twitter deems “suspicious activity” remain vague.