The same happens with instagram and facebook, is a pain in the ass. Tbh is getting more and more difficult to use a vpn all the time even for general browsing, captchas are annoying and that cloudflare security check activates on a lot of sites.
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Sorry about the confusion, I meant I did not have any sucess using a VPN.
I’m fairly new to Reddit, but how do I know if I’m shadowbanned on Reddit? I created an account a few days ago and it seems like every single posts and thread I make is banned or removed by the autobot. I’m able to browse Reddit, but I can’t seem to post anywhere. Yes, I’m using a VPN and I’m wondering if I’m somehow banned from posting.
Well, you asked how you can tell if you’ve been shadowbanned and you literally answered your question.
(or maybe because your account is new and you may need to wait)
But there’s not an exact way to know anyway. You could have a shadowban in other subreddits and you may not know.
I’m trying to get a confirmation. If in shadowbanned in one group, does this become sitewide? Seems weird that I’m shadowbanned rather than outright banned.
AFAIK if your account is marked as suspicious or is shadowbanned your whole account may be affected. That’s why the best option is to just give up on Reddit.
But if you recently created an account maybe you need to wait some time depending on the subreddit to interact. Some subreddits block new users or with low Reddit karma.
Super late to this story, but I thought I’d comment since my Reddit account got recently suspended for similar reasons.
I understand you don’t want to link your credit card to any purchase, but there are various VPNs for which you can pay in cash directly, they include Proton VPN, Mullvad VPN, and IVPN. More over, you can also use the Proxy Store which also accepts cash for services such as Mullvad VPN, and IPVN. It’s even more private than paying them directly.
I strongly suggest you try Mullvad VPN, even if it’s just for a month. It will only cost you €5.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE:
1) How do you know you were shadowbanned?
I ask this because my account was locked/suspended, which is not the same as shadowbanned. Shadowbanned means you can still use your account normally, but your posts and comments are not as visible, which you might not notice right away.
When your account is suspended, you can’t do anything. You can’t up/downvote a post. You can’t publish a post. You can’t comment. You can’t join a new sub. You can’t do anything, and your account is notified that it is suspended. You’ll get a big red banner telling you so every time you go on Reddit.
You’ll also get a message in your inbox.
2) How do you know you were shadowbanned for using a VPN?
Did the mods tell you that?
3) How were you able to contact Reddit’s customer support?
I was not able to reach them. I know that there was a time when you could reach Reddit Support via email (contact@reddit.com / @reddit.zendesk.com), but they no longer allow that.
Was it the case when you posted in December 2024?
Every time I have reached out to Reddit to find out why my account was suspended or why I am unable to receive the email to reset my password, I get a bot reply. Even when I message mods by their username, the response is bot instead of the mod.
Final thoughts:
Although my VPN is a paid subscription, I am confident that it’s one of the reason my account was suspended. The other being that I use an email alias.
I have yet to find a way to reach Reddit support’s team. I fear my only way is to create a new account, and to comment with it on a post where mods are present.
Well, I think I’m shadowbanned, but I don’t get those error messages that you mentioned. I’m wondering if I should try creating a new account without BPN and see what happens?
Probably to take more data out of you to check you’re not a spammer. BTW, by the screenshots you shared your account seems to be permanently banned anyways.
The first screenshot says permanently banned. But when I look in my inbox, it says it was suspended for suspicious activity and asks me to reset my password. That tells me it’s not permanently banned, and that the red banner is a generic message that appears, and it is not always accurate.
Have you ever logged into an online account and had your access revoked with a message saying you account was suspended for inactivity, when you know you logged in literally the day before?
That has happened to me before, and I think this is the same scenario. You get a generic message that does not apply to your case.
When you get permanently banned from a website, you cannot even log in. I can log into my account no problem. I just can’t use it.
I’d love to know the results! I’m personally interested if they flag privacy-oriented browsers like Mullvad Browser or Brave and if they flag email aliases. I haven’t had time to re-try with Cloudflare WARP either.
Using Mullvpn + browser seems to get any account I make shadowbanned within 24 hours. Confirmed location and gateway is irrelevant, and this is entirely new because I’ve just been lurking and occasionally commenting on Reddit with this setup for over a year, and what I do comment is incredibly benign. Reddit will also, seemingly arbitrarily, block signins with the vpn on for a still functioning non-banned account, regardless of where I’m connected to/what my IP is. This part is impossible to reproduce, it just happens randomly at this point giving a credential error, but if I were to turn the vpn off and switch to another browser, the exact same credentials will work. Then a few hours later, I’ll be able to sign in on my main Mullvad browser with the vpn still on, no rhyme or reason.
My main account I use on mobile is untouched.
Seems Reddit is starting even more beef with vpns and possibly privacy oriented browsers.