Your platform may be at risk of being destroyed or censored by big tech companies. In this episode, you’ll find out why and what to do about it.
Some of the latest developments have happened in the last few weeks. Big tech companies have started censoring, shadow banning, and suspending accounts of Christian authors. You may have already been algorithmically or explicitly shadow-banned without knowing it.
What is shadow banning?
Shadow banning is when a social media company allows your profile to stay active, so anyone who visits it directly can still see it, but it’s hidden in search results. People may not receive updates, depending on how the platform works and your content may be excluded from recommendations or demonetized if the platform supports monetization.
If you’ve seen a dramatic drop in social engagement, there’s a chance you’ve been shadow-banned. Below, I’ll go through different platforms, explain what they’re doing, and discuss how to protect your platform to be 100% free from the risk of censorship.
What is happening with Pinterest?
Pinterest has been censoring pro-lifers, Christians, and conservatives. A whistleblower revealed that Pinterest maintains a list of sensitive terms, including Bible verses, that lead to posts being censored or suppressed. They’ve even deleted entire accounts. Christian authors used to rave about Pinterest driving a flood of traffic to their sites five or six years ago, but recently, few have reported the same success.
If you’re a Christian author still getting significant traffic from Pinterest, please share what you write about, as not all Christian authors are being targeted. Only certain topics and types of authors are affected. Pinterest appears to be the most flagrant, or at least we know the most about their actions due to the whistleblower. News articles with more details are available.
What is happening with Twitter?
Twitter’s involvement in censorship is surprising, as they’ve historically positioned themselves as the free speech wing of free speech, being the most open and accommodating platform.
However, they’ve recently targeted Christian authors, including Abby Johnson, a pro-life advocate whose Twitter account was suspended the same weekend the movie about her book, Unplanned, was released. The timing was notable, and it was likely a manual ban rather than an algorithmic one. They later reversed it, but often, reversals happen only when news articles generate public pressure. If you lack the platform to gain media attention, you may remain banned.
What is happening with YouTube?
YouTube recently banned an ad for labeling the word “Christian” as a keyword, deeming it unacceptable content. News articles detail this incident. Additionally, one agency client was demonetized for advocating complementarianism in her YouTube videos, suppressed because YouTube disagreed with her views.
YouTube may not be a safe place to build your platform if your views align with those they oppose. The challenge is that tech companies rarely provide explicit lists of censored topics, often using vague guidelines. With shadow banning, you might notice fewer views, likes, or retweets without knowing why, as your content is hidden or suppressed from all but your most dedicated followers.
What is happening with Facebook?
Facebook has a long history of censoring Christians, dating back to 2012. They use an algorithm called EdgeRank, a powerful censorship tool that considers multiple factors beyond just post content, making it hard to detect censorship. EdgeRank can ban specific topics, as seen in 2012 during the Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day when mentions of the event were hidden for 8 to 10 hours. Facebook claimed it was a glitch, but skepticism remains.
Christian authors like Paul Washer have had sermons removed for being labeled hate speech, as reported by Christianity Today. Instagram, owned by Facebook, has also censored figures like Alvita King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, for pro-life posts. High-profile individuals may get unbanned due to media attention, but others may not.
Who is being targeted?
Not all Christian authors are targeted, but certain groups are at higher risk. Pro-lifers are the most vulnerable, especially in the last year, as social media companies aim to silence the pro-life side of the debate. Complementarians, advocates of Christian sexual ethics, fundamentalists, and some conservative evangelicals are also frequently targeted. The more progressive your views, the safer you are from censorship, for now.
The list of censored topics grows yearly. A topic acceptable in 2019 might be censored in 2020. Even with tens of thousands of followers, your platform could be silenced, like a microphone turned down in a sound booth, keeping your audience from hearing you.
How can you protect your platform from censorship?
This situation is sad, but there’s good news: the open internet is nearly free from censorship. By using open internet technologies, big tech companies cannot target you. Whether you’re already being censored or fear future targeting, building your platform on these technologies offers greater safety.
What is the difference between a walled garden and the open internet?
A walled garden is a platform fully controlled by a single company, like America Online, which had its own version of the internet with controlled pages and chat rooms. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are similar in that they’re fully controlled environments where the CEO can remove you without recourse. Walled gardens are easier to use and often free or cheap, but they carry a high risk of censorship.
The open internet, however, uses open-source technologies, which are not controlled by any company or government. The early internet was open and free. The open internet is typically more expensive, technologically complex, and has a low risk of censorship.
Think of a walled garden as a port with a controlling authority, while the open internet is like the open ocean, offering freedom with fewer restrictions.
Why is a WordPress.org website a safe platform?
Your website, especially if running on WordPress.org, is an open, safe platform. Unlike Wix or Squarespace, which are vulnerable to deplatforming, WordPress.org uses open-source technology not owned by anyone.
You can set up WordPress.org on your own server with thousands of hosting companies. Because of this competition, no single company has an incentive to remove you for ideological reasons, so your website remains online.
Taking down a website for ideological disagreements requires illegal actions like hacking or distributed denial-of-service attacks. Google can hide your WordPress.org site from search but cannot make it disappear.
WordPress is the leading open-source technology for websites today.
How does a self-hosted blog protect you?
A self-hosted blog, ideally on the same WordPress.org site as your website, is another open internet technology. Avoid platforms like blogger.com or wordpress.com, which are walled gardens.
WordPress.com is a walled garden, while WordPress.org is open internet technology. A WordPress.org blog is censorship-resistant because its subscription technology, RSS, is decentralized and open. Anyone can access and subscribe to it, and no tech company can shut it down.
Google once offered an RSS reader, Google Reader, but discontinued it because it couldn’t control or monetize it. Alternatives like Feedly allow you to subscribe to blogs freely.
Why is an email list a secure option?
Your email list is a robust open internet technology. If people opt-in, know you, and engage with your emails, it’s nearly impossible for big tech to disrupt that connection. Even if a service like Mailchimp deplatforms you for ideological reasons (which has happened, though rarely), you can download your list and move to one of hundreds of competitors.
Unlike walled gardens like Facebook, where being removed cuts you off entirely, email services have many alternatives, which means you can continue reaching subscribers.
Why is podcasting the freest platform?
Podcasting is the freest open internet technology and is built on RSS, just like blogging. However, most people stopped using RSS to subscribe to blogs. They would instead follow the blogger on social media and expect to find out about new posts via those channels. That approach gave social media platforms control over whether you saw a new post.
With podcasts, listeners subscribe via apps that pull episodes directly onto their phones and bypass social media control. Even podcasts banned from Apple or Spotify still remain accessible on apps because of RSS’s decentralized nature.
Dozens of competitors exist at the hosting and analytics levels, which means podcasting remains free from censorship.
Here’s a clearer and more concise rewrite while preserving the original tone and intent:
The early pioneers of podcasting were deeply committed to freedom and resisted corporate control. Ironically, now that corporations have gained more influence over podcasting, many podcasters are grateful for the stability and distribution power podcasts provide.
Surprisingly, Christian podcasts make up the largest category in the entire podcasting world by a wide margin. Last I checked, there were about 10,000 more Christian podcasts than the next most popular category, which is either comedy or news. That’s a staggering number.
Among all digital platforms, podcasting remains one of the most welcoming to Christians and one of the most supportive of freedom of speech.
How does censorship-free communication work?
An example of censorship-free communication is this podcast, The Christian Publishing Show. It’s hosted on the ChristianPublishingshow.com website, which is controlled and safe from censorship. New episodes are distributed via an RSS feed to subscribers on Android or iPhone, also free from censorship. Posts are shared on the Steve Laube blog, a WordPress.org blog, which is safe from censorship, and an email is sent to stevelaube.com subscribers, and that email is also secure.
It is possible to communicate with your audience while bypassing the communication channels controlled by big tech companies. The Christian Publishing Show operates without fear of interference from Facebook, Google, Twitter, or Pinterest. If you’ve subscribed, you’ll receive this episode. The effort put into creating this episode reaches the audience without being censored.
Why does paying for services matter?
This communication method is reliable because it’s paid for. The ChristianPublishingShow.com website is hosted, and the mp3 files and RSS feed are supported through payments. Steve Laube pays for stevelaube.com hosting and uses Mailchimp for email distribution. As a paying customer, we maintain control of our content.
When a product you use is free, you are not the customer; you are the product, and your attention is sold to advertisers. On platforms like Facebook, you get “free service,” and your data and attention are the commodities.
Why should you build on the open internet?
Build your platform on the open internet, not in a walled garden. Social media can be used, but only to the extent you’re willing to lose the content you post there. If it disappears, it shouldn’t destroy your connection with your readers.
Maintain alternative ways to reach your audience.
When you don’t pay for a service, you’re the product, not the customer, so prioritize paid options. Many authors chase free platforms, lured by their ease, but this is like a siren song, pulling them into the unstable sands of social media, which isn’t a reliable place to build a lasting platform.
How should authors invest their time and resources?
Some authors would be better off working a part-time job to earn money to invest in reliable platforms rather than wasting time on fleeting social media efforts.
You can always make more money, but you can never make more time. Invest your precious time in reliable, lasting technologies to serve yourself, your readers, and your book’s message.
This episode will remain accessible years into the future because it’s built on solid technologies, not shifting sands.
Sponsor: 7 Secrets of Amazing Author Websites
One of the keys to an effective platform is a stellar author website. In this 1 1/2 hour video webinar presentation, find out why most author websites get very little traffic. Discover how to avoid common author website mistakes. Uncover the secrets that will make your site effective and help sell your books.
Get for Free (sign up for email updates)