Glossary

Deplatforming

The removal or suspension of a person or group from a social-media or online service, often for violating rules on speech.

Also called: de-platforming, account suspension, platform ban

Deplatforming is the removal of an individual, group or app from an online platform, such as a social network, payment service or hosting provider, usually for violating the company's terms of service. It can mean suspension of an account, removal of posts or a permanent ban, and the term also covers cutting off services such as domain registration.

Prominent examples include the bans of Donald Trump from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in January 2021 after the Capitol attack, the removals of Alex Jones from several platforms in 2018 and the removal of the app Parler from app stores and its hosting provider in 2021. Platforms have said these actions enforced rules against incitement, harassment and misinformation. Some platforms have since restored accounts, and X (formerly Twitter) under Elon Musk reinstated many.

Conservatives and others who see bias argue that big technology companies have excessive power over public discourse and apply rules unevenly against conservative viewpoints; Texas and Florida passed laws to restrict moderation, which led to Moody v. NetChoice (2024), where the Supreme Court said that content moderation is protected editorial activity but sent the cases back. Supporters of the platforms say private companies have their own First Amendment rights to decide what to host and that removal addresses real harms. See section 230 and viewpoint discrimination.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Shadow banning A practice, alleged and sometimes confirmed, of limiting a user's content visibility on a platform without telling the user. Section 230 A 1996 federal law that shields websites from liability for most user-posted content and protects their good-faith content moderation. Viewpoint discrimination Government regulation of speech that targets the perspective expressed, treated as an especially serious First Amendment violation. Cancel culture The practice of withdrawing support from or publicly shaming people or institutions deemed to have said or done something offensive, a contested label. Compelled speech The First Amendment principle that the government generally cannot force people to express messages they disagree with.