Automated Censorship
What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Shadowbanned on Instagram
How to appeal, check violations, and more
Maria Puertas
Community and Social Media Manager
Maria Puertas was The Markup’s social media manager, executing the day-to-day promotion of our reporting and investigations. She left The Markup in June 2024.
Prior to The Markup, Maria worked at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she drove strategy on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Before that, she worked in various roles for digital agencies and political campaigns.
Maria is interested in how individuals navigate and develop online communities, a topic she has researched and is continuing to observe here at The Markup.
Automated Censorship
Demoted, Deleted, and Denied: There’s More Than Just Shadowbanning on Instagram
An investigation by The Markup found that the platform demoted images of the Israel–Hamas war, deleted captions without warning, and denied users the option to appeal
Show Your WorkAutomated Censorship
How We Investigated Shadowbanning on Instagram
We found that Instagram heavily demoted nongraphic images of war, deleted captions and hid comments without notification, suppressed hashtags, and limited users’ ability to appeal moderation decisions
Hello World
A Virtual Reality Tour of Surveillance Tech at the Border
A conversation with Dave Maass of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Privacy
What Happens to Your Sensitive Data When a Data Broker Goes Bankrupt?
Data on sensitive locations, such as abortion clinics, could be sold off, raising alarms
Hello World
An Essential Guide For Mindful Posting
A conversation with Whitney Phillips and Ryan Milner about how their book on teens’ responsible social media use has important lessons for digital denizens of all ages
Impact
L.A. Is Changing How It Scores “Vulnerability” of Unhoused People
An investigation by The Markup sparked demands for answers
Privacy
Use Our Game Safety Buddy to Protect Your Kids and Yourself on Gaming Consoles
Our tool and advice can help you navigate the overwhelming number of settings on today’s game platforms.
Hello World
‘Every Day That I Don’t Get My TikTok Account Back Is An Opportunity That’s Lost’
How arbitrary account bans affect the livelihoods of creators with disabilities
Organ Failure
A Death Sentence: Native Americans Shut Out of the Nation’s Liver Transplant System
Despite being more likely to die of liver disease, Native Americans are far less likely to make the transplant list than White people
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