2020ban

2020ban is a term used in online discourse to describe a wave of bans, suspensions, and policy-enforced removals that occurred on various platforms in the year 2020. It is not the name of a single policy, but a retrospective label applied to a range of moderation actions taken across social media, video sharing, messaging, and other online services during that year.

Origins of the phrase are informal; it emerged as commentators noted that 2020 saw unprecedented attention to content moderation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, political polarization, and protests. The term is used to discuss the cumulative effect of these actions rather than a formal, centralized policy.

Scope of 2020ban includes account suspensions, removal of posts or channels, and stricter enforcement of terms of service, often tied to misinformation, hate speech, incitement, or manipulation of civic processes. The actions spanned multiple platforms and jurisdictions, and often occurred quickly or in response to viral content or high-profile events.

Reception to 2020ban was mixed. Proponents argued that stronger moderation reduced harm, misinformation, and violence, particularly during a public health crisis. Critics argued that rapid or opaque enforcement risked suppressing legitimate discourse and that policies were inconsistently applied across languages and regions.

See also: Content moderation, deplatforming, platform accountability, misinformation.

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