It’s easy to claim that censorship doesn’t exist when it takes the form of coordinated downvotes, abusive commentary, and exclusionary tactics. But let’s call it what it is: censorship comes in many forms, not just outright bans or deletions

It’s easy to claim that censorship doesn’t exist when it takes the form of coordinated downvotes, abusive commentary, and exclusionary tactics. But let’s call it what it is: censorship comes in many forms, not just outright bans or deletions. Groups of users ganging up to downvote a single person, hurling insults, labeling them “mentally ill,” or calling them liars for speaking the truth—these are all tools of suppression. Encouraging others to avoid interacting with targeted individuals further isolates and silences voices that deserve to be heard.