Sorry for the rant, I don’t know if it belongs here, I’m new. But I am just super disappointed and want to maybe help people in the future experiencing something similar so we can cope together.
So, a few days ago, one of my random alt accounts on Reddit gets sitewide banned for harassment because I called someone dumb in the comments (literally no more than that) as a joke on a shitpost a few years ago. I laugh the random account ban off and delete the account and return to my normal Redditing.
Now, I’ve been a daily commenter and poster on Reddit for several years at this point. You could call it addiction. But I also use it for updates and questions at my local university, so it’s also made its way into my personal life, too.
So, after the ban, I figured I was fine and I could continue to use one of my many other accounts. I was wrong.
Nope. A few hours later, ALL of my accounts over the last decade or so get permanently banned for ban evasion. I did not know Reddit bans were global like that. So, obviously I try to appeal the bullshit original ban, but I DELETED the account so I couldn’t.
I try to appeal on the alts, but I get the same generic “your request has been denied” message. Over and over again across all of them, same message.
So, I figure that they banned me for having my other accounts on the same device. Really shitty all my accounts were gone but I was reluctantly fine to start over by removing them all and deleting the app.
Those accounts got banned too.
Okay, looks like it’s by IP and device. Cool. I’ll… use the browser version on Brave and use a VPN when I want to post on Reddit. Super inconvenient but I’ll do what I have to do.
All accounts created or largely used on a VPN get shadow banned and appeals are ignored.
Okay, VPNs don’t work. I’ll delete all my account info on all my devices, reset my router to change my IP, use a new device, and not sign into any accounts other than Reddit and that should be good!
It works for a few hours. Perfectly fine. But, as I scroll more and more, I start to see communities that I recognize from my old accounts. No big deal, they probably recommend those communities to a lot of new users.
But, as I scrolled more and more, even smaller communities showed up that I used. Smaller, smaller, and even smaller, until eventually these were subs under 5k members even though I didn’t interact with he vast majority. They caught me, again, on a brand new device with a different IP.
Well fuck. Reddit is going to be the biggest inconvenience ever to use again. But I had one last trick up my sleeve.
A special VPN that uses the network of its users to reroute internet so websites are extremely unlikely to ban each individual server. A fucking virtual linux machine. Brave browser with the most secure settings.
It went well for longer this time, a few days, but the same Orwellian shit happened. More and more tiny subs until I saw ones with mere single digit upvotes on all the posts on subs with just a few thousand members. And then, just a day or two after my account creation, boom. Permanent ban there, too.
There is literally nothing you can do to get back on Reddit if you’re banned and want to use it in even a slightly normal way. I have submitted an appeal on the reddithelp form, but this is also extremely unlikely to be accepted even though the ban was bullshit; they haven’t responded yet. I don’t think I can ever use Reddit again because their system uses the most advanced AI to detect evaders I have ever seen. They’re definitely spending tens of millions monthly on computer costs and research SOLELY to catch evaders and it fucking works.
So, I guess I’m a Lemming from now on. Super upset, Lemmy doesn’t have subs for my favourite games and even the more popular games are super inactive. But, there is nothing I can do. Sorry for the rant but I know I started reading ban posts like these for hours when I first got banned, so I hope I can help people in the future realize they’re completely done for unless their appeal gets accepted.
TL;DR: Even with a completely unrelated device, IP, and a virtual machine, Reddit’s AI will detect what types of posts you like until they are slightly confident it’s you. Then, permanent ban. You cannot avoid this. I’m super bummed out.
Edit: For peoples who have had site-wide bans doomscrolling about it in the future like I was, I’m not saying evading a ban is impossible. If you really want to get back on don’t give up hope, I’m just saying it’s going to be very difficult. But definitely consider contributing to the awesome Lemmy community. I know it’s missing a lot, but it does help scratch the itch. I recommend the Blorp app as it’s the most similar to Reddit’s UI.
…and that’s why I never sub to any subs. I only peek at the All, and … rarely comment. Almost never upvote. Usage pattern? Dead.
You are still logged in somewhere. You just need a new IP. Everything after that is wrong.
You’re an AI
Welcome to the multi ban club. I got got twice - once for saying Nazis deserve to be named and shamed, and again for saying the mods of r/Cybertruck are losers.
Created another account with a username almost identical to the one I had that got banned (kind of a dumb move tbh). It lasted for a year and some change before it got banned for evasion. I was surprised it lasted that long.
Since I created and oversaw a subreddit there for a niche community that I am still very much invested in, I created another account (very different username) a few months after I got banned, let it sit dormant for a few more months (a technique often used by bots but hey, reddit doesn’t lift a finger for those things!), then used it on a device I’ve never used any of my other accounts on, also connected to VPN. So far I have not been banned yet but I have only commented on one subreddit so far, because I genuinely have a question on a game glitch that I can’t find help for anywhere else. I’m going to wait a little longer before going back to my niche subreddit to maybe shake them off my tail.
Otherwise though, I’m not rejoining or participating in any other subs I frequented, nor am I going out of my way to flag bots like I used to do. Reddit is dead to me.
I hope more people over there see the light and choke that hell platform of its revenue and influence.
Frankly, I don’t understand why people keep insisting on using that cancer site. The Reddit many of us knew and once loved is gone. It is now just another right wing propaganda machine. Sad, but that’s the way it is.
You are going about it the wrong way. The ban evasion is not as sophisticated as you make it out to be. Put a VPN or mobile data and create an account with a normal email. Use a normal web browser like firefox. Thats all. Ive been banned like 60+ times. Once you make the account dont comment for a few days and ease into it.
Using tor, vpns, etc makes you stick out. Commenting a ton and being super active makes you stick out. They aren’t detecting that it was YOU they banned they are just banning you because you are acting suspicious and botlike.
reddit detects vpn too easily.
If the VPN has a ton of bad traffic coming from it then you’ll get banned. Any free VPN will 100% get you cooked. But i can create an account on the paid proton VPN servers with no issues.
So do you literally just wait a few days and rejoin some of your favourite smaller subs after a few days no matter how small they are and still remain undetected?
Are you ever connecting to your old IP again after making the account on data or are you being super careful about it?
Also, if the bans aren’t for evasion, how are you coming back after 60 fucking times lol?!
After a month I’ll stop being careful and use my home IP
Because after I got banned for something so minor I was pissed at reddit and kept I being rude to comments and posts that were shit.
You know how you see the same reddit opinion over and over and over even though its completely incorrect. Or see posts that are so obviously false or rule breaking. I’d just be rude as fuck in my reply tone, not breaking any rules but still would draw bans.
The ones I hated the most were am I the asshole posts where they clearly weren’t. Like “am I the asshole for being abused by my parents”. Same with firecape posters in the old school runescape subreddit.
So you use the same devices as before just like firefox with cleared cookies? How long do your accs last?
Also sorry for bombarding you with questions it’s just I rlly doubt wanna lose the ability to post on some of these subs lol
I dont clear cookies but i run unlock. Accounts last a long time. Ive had one for a while because i spent my time on Lemmy these days. I dont comment on reddit much anymore. Just use it to view. Check your DMS you can habe the account.
Welcome!
After the detox period, it’s quite nice here.
Hope you’re going to find, and create (you’ll be amazed how easy it is to pop up communities here, and there is no permanan possible) your future favourite communities here!
Cheers
vpn isnt going to work anymore, reddit bans most major vpns in general. plus they have definitely increased thier ban evasion detection, besides that they are looking for keywords they deemed doesnt fit the sites narrative, instant delete, or ban.
thier methods of detection usually is looking at your IP, device, its components, the browser, your screen resolution, time and date, fingerprinting. for any similarity.
more advanced methods if you are trying to use other methods IP, like datacenter, they will block of flag the most commonly abused IP datacenters, that uses to rotate around. VPN are so easily flagged by reddit its guaranteed a ban. they will also target genuine behaviour, if your on reddit logged in, are you acting human; posting too fast, or spaamming the same words, style of writing. old inactive accounts and new accounts are extremely susceptible to this type of monitoring.
reddits pratically mostly spam/bots now anyways, they purged way too many users.
the true ban evaders are using paid methods, plus new devices and rotating IP that isnt vpn(mostly mobile proxies), and they are usually using hundreds if not thousands of account at once, and they use this method to market OF or some kind of business they are running, so they can afford it
I had all that happen. The initial ban was from AI for inciting violence when discussing JiuJitsu technique.
Be the change that you want to see on Lemmy. Make or participate in a community if you want it here.
True. And we need to stop bullshit like this.
Imagine if in the future, a company like Tencent managed to buy all the big social medias, or even if all the big social medias teamed up to ban stuff that goes against an agenda.
The future equivalents (or maybe the same as the ones we have now) of Reddit, Instagram, Facebook, Discord, Youtube, Google, etc. could share their moderation tactics and ban anyone that speaks badly about whatever agenda they have.
Then, the Orwellian tech giants could use lightweight AI to detect evasion like I experienced on Reddit. No matter what, where, or how, they would ALWAYS be able to link a user to a banned user within hours or days no matter how little IP or fingerprint similarities they were JUST BY USAGE PATTERNS.
This is fucking creepy and insane. The future we are heading towards does not look bright when it comes to surveillance.
Although I’m reluctant to use Lemmy because of its tiny (but not nonexistent) size, I do think I will create some small communities similar to the ones on Reddit that I miss even if I’m the only one there.
Personally I’ve moved on from Reddit communities to Discord server communities.
Discord is following the same paths as reddit and can easily do the same to you
Haven’t gotten sidewide permabanned so we’ll see. Maybe one day, we’ll revert back to good old fashion forums or internet relay chat or even newsgroups. The technophiles atleast, the masses probably will be still in their bubble of social media.
That’s why we’re building the fediverse right now. The enthusiasts have already evolved. No regression necessary.
Did you vape your browser cache? Take anti browser fingerprinting steps? So how do you think they’re identifying you?
vape your browser cache
wow browsers can blow dank clouds now? broooo.
Sorry, I had to :P
Reddit AI analyses the content of comments and the sorts of posts the user interacts with, and generates a fingerprint of a user, and ban any user which matches the fingerprint of a banned user.
Hahaha what a fucking waste of money. For the amount of money that they’re wasting on using LLMs to analyze content, they could fix the actual root problems that makes their platform suck ass.
google and OPENAI is paying for that DATA. thats why reddits AI moderation is so aggressive. reddit is getting money to have thier data scraped, hence google searches are almost always reddit in the top.
they also analyze the fingerprint of your browser to.
to what? you didn’t finish
Nothing but usage patterns is sufficient but browser fingerprints and IP location obviously makes it easier for them.
I linger on a post from a smaller sub they randomly recommend for 0.2 seconds longer than other posts? They get a little suspicious.
I click a google search link to a post about a hobby I was into on a previous account? They get more suspicious.
They say, “oh look, a dude that’s into Minecraft (joined that sub), 3D printing (from google question) that lives in x city and uses Windows. We only have like 10 of those on the entire platform, and one is banned! Let’s start suggesting them communities from their old accounts to see if it’s the same person.”
Then, after you even remotely interact with those older/smaller communities that they fire at you as a test suggestion, they gain more and more evidence until they’re very confident it’s you. Then boom, evasion ban again.
There’s no way around this unless you don’t use Reddit for what you want to and only browse r/all or something.
Edit: Yeah, forgot to answer the actual question. All browser cache data is removed. They’re doing it with data on what subs I like alone.
Once you’re over the addiction, maybe a month or so, you’ll enjoy your life better. There’s an energy about reddit that you see her occasionally, but not all of the time. It’s worse than you probably currently realize.
You’re right, I definitely have a serious addiction and I am realizing it more now. This post definitely reads like I’ve been separated from cocaine, lmao.
It’s probably my limited social life combined with the endless scrolling. The fucking reddit notifications from posts and comments sorta filled that void, it’s super sad ik.
Breaking the addiction will be a hard adjustment and it’s not easy, but I hope I will get over it and I know you’re right.
But the ban is also shitty outside of the context of my general usage addiction though even though that’s obviously the main factor. Asking general questions about random shit has helped me solve so many problems.
I encourage your enthusiasm for writing and suggest you just forget about the old site. You can bookmark important conversations/announcements. We don’t have all them niche discussions, but folks
such as themcan get fucked.hey hey, welcome. I left my account behind after someone sent me a picture of a dead kid on it and reporting it did nothing.
also, I find this post extremely fascinating on a technical level. if you were using a virtual machine with a VPN I wonder how they were getting the data back.
I don’t even think the evasion detection is that complicated.
Barring fingerprinting and IP shit, let’s say they index every single user that spends more than 25 hours on their site per month to lower computational load relative to if we did every single user.
For each of those users, they might record 10 of their most used “niche subreddits” (those with under 200,000 members, niche because most reddit users are in the non-niche subs so it’s not conclusive enough)
From that data alone, if a user happens to be into, say, Golden Age Minecraft, 3D Printing, Stampylongnose, Namesoundalike memes, Drakethetype memes, and be in a Saskatchewan local sub, ON TOP of the account being relatively new, this is enough evidence for Reddit to be 99.9% confident that you’re the same user as someone else with that data—and if that someone else with that data is banned, you’re gone too!
That’s how I think they do it. So, you have to completely change your usage habits on top of all device fingerprinting and IP stuff. Near impossible unless you’re not just terminally online (like me) but eternally online.
Seems unlikely that they’d do this just to catch ban evaders? They probably were already doing it for targeted ads, so might as well repurpose it for this, too!
they are looking at more than just IP, DEVICE, and fingerprinting. they are looking at your components, screen resolution , your pattern. also they tend to ban very easily on nebulous tos violations.
