Hey everyone 👋 — I’ve analyzed data from Discord Transparency Reports. I also went on the r/BannedFromDiscord subreddit, which shows absurd Discord ban reasons. Discord would ban a user for sending a seemingly normal message or a message that’s taken out of context (e.g., “CP” - Couples used in Chinese slang, “Child Po” - Kung Fu Panda character, emojis, etc.). This happens because Discord uses automated systems to determine if a message violates its Terms & Service (TOS). Getting unbanned from Discord also isn’t easy. Users reported that their appeals were dismissed.
This is happening because malicious actors on Discord would utilize various methods, such as editing messages or trying to get a user to say a number (e.g., 12, 11, 10, etc.), to trick Discord’s automated systems into thinking that a user is violating their Terms of Service (TOS). A YouTuber, No-Text-To-Speech (NTTS), has made a video regarding this matter.
This wasn’t made to criticize Discord. I support Discord’s efforts to remove Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) content, but one thing I don’t support is false bans that restrict access to a user’s account wrongfully. I’ll link all resources down below and steps you could take to stay safe.
NTTS YouTube Video#
You could watch the No-Text-To-Speech (NTTS) video regarding this matter, where he explains it in detail and proves it.
r/BannedFromDiscord — False Bans#
The subreddit, r/BannedFromDiscord, is a place where users can express their frustration regarding their false bans. I’ve downloaded as much media as I could regarding the reason of, “child safety”. Below are a few samples.
Discord Transparency Hub#
Every year since 2022, Discord has reported its transparency in accordance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). You can check it out here if you’d like.
2024: H1#
Since 2024, the common reason for appeals on Discord is regarding, “child safety.”
2023: Q4#
In this report, the most amount of servers removed is for the reason of, “child safety”. Oftentimes, during raids, malicious actors would spam either violent content or explicit content and mass report the server to get it banned. Since then, a lot of servers have been removed for the same reason during the following years.
2023: Q2#
2023: Q1#
2022: Q2#
2022: Q1#
