Georgina Horne is your standard Instagram influencer – gorgeous, with a 194,000 strong following and an account filled with photo shoots and fabulous holidays. However, unlike many of her fellow Instagram stars, Georgina believes she’s been shadow banned by the social network, and she can only think of one reason why – her plus-size figure.
For those not in the know, a “shadow ban” is when a social network purposefully limits a person’s online reach. An example is hiding your posts from users who don’t follow you, making it harder to grow your account. A shadow ban can also affect hashtags, making you invisible to those following a specific hashtag, preventing potential fans from finding you.
Shadow bans are a contentious topic in the world of social media, with several platforms denying applying them to control content. Nevertheless, several users have claimed to have been a victim. Still, Instagram swears that undiscoverable hashtags are the result of an algorithm glitch, and have suggested users not rely on hashtags to reach new followers.
However, Georgina is convinced the network is censoring her curves. The plus-size model told The Metro: “I’ve defo been shadow banned on instagram – I can tell because my posts never make ‘top posts’ on hashtags with few posts, and my likes have vastly depleted. If I were a slim woman posting similar content then this wouldn’t happen. Fat bodies are being muted, and I’m not ok with that.
“I post content that I know for a FACT empowers and emboldens others, and yet because my body isn’t ‘perfect’, I’m given a disadvantage. The size 10 women showing how at some angles they have chins and a stomach roll get 468010k likes – because that’s acceptable. That’s temporary. My big fat body isn’t. And it’s punished.”
You can follow Georgina at @FullerFigureFullerBust.
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Author: Sophie Lloyd
Sophie is a cute feminist butterfly navigating the world one kitty meme at a time, or at least that’s how her best friend described her when she asked for help writing this bio. She likes cheese and one day hopes to be the proud owner of a corgi. For more of her random ramblings, follow her on Twitter/Instagram @_sophofbread.
