Weathering and weaponizing the #TwitterPurge: Digital content moderation and the dimensions of deplatforming
Sebastiaan Gorissen · Communication and Democracy · 2023
Since 2016, news outlets across the political spectrum have increased coverage of social media content moderation and given the term “deplatforming” unprecedented mainstream prominence. This discourse has emphasized individual deplatforming; the process by which an individual’s account on a platform is suspended, disallowing their access to the platform’s user base and services. However, this individual emphasis draws attention away from community deplatforming, which is of primary significance. Deplatforming functions as active moderation. Beyond individual deplatforming, we must recognize incremental deplatforming – cumulatively affecting entire communities over a span of time – and implosive deplatforming – instantaneously erasing entire platforms, websites, and services.