“Instagram is shadow banned” – After Colby Covington, UFC Flyweight accuses META for hampering social media growth over support for Donald Trump

The intersection of free speech, politics, and MMA has not had a great track record in the past few years. Many accounts were censored as well as banned on various social media platforms. Recently, UFC flyweight Cody Durden accused Meta of artificially limiting the growth of his social media following. Durden alleged this was due to his perceived support for former US President Donald Trump. Another UFC fighter, Colby Covington, also shared the same problem.

Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. In a tweet on X, Durden stated he needed help. He claimed Instagram and Facebook “shadow banned.” Durden said he was certain of this, as his follower counts have barely budged despite putting out regular content. This is what it posted:

I need your help. My Facebook, and Instagram is shadow banned. I’m certain. I’m putting out content but I’ve been stuck on 20.2k followers for months. Anytime I exceed 20.3, it goes back down to 20.2k. It’s weird. Go look for yourself. I’m at 20,298 followers and it won’t go higher.

Cody Durden via X

The American Top Team fighter from Georgia felt this suppression was politically motivated. He has previously voiced controversial views on social media and backed Trump in past elections. Durden felt Meta unfairly censored him for his political views.

The UFC flyweight hopes drawing attention to his stagnant numbers will force Meta to remove any artificial blocks on his accounts. However, he acknowledged the uphill battle against a behemoth social media firm with vast resources.

Colby Covington accuses Meta of shadow-banning him

Colby Covington recently accused major social media platforms of suppressing his online reach and engagement. He said social media companies shadow-banned him. The controversial welterweight contender believed this censorship stems from his outspoken support for Donald Trump.

Covington aired his grievances after losing his most recent title fight against Leon Edwards. He claimed that Facebook and Twitter have intentionally limited his growth and exposure. ‘Chaos’ alleged that these tech companies deploy tactics like “shadow banning” to silence Trump supporters. This term refers to secretly restricting users’ content from appearing in newsfeeds and search results without notifying them.

Covington felt that this online censorship reflects a broader assault on American democracy. His allegations resonated with many on the right who feel big tech unfairly favors liberal viewpoints. However, the platforms maintained that they apply their rules consistently regardless of politics. Covington remains confident that Trump would win the 2024 election.

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