Ban evasion
Also called: evading a ban, ban evasion filter, alt account after ban
Definition
Ban evasion is using another Reddit account to keep participating where you were banned: in a subreddit after a moderator ban, or on Reddit after a sitewide ban. It breaks the Reddit Rules and can lead to every linked account being suspended.
Reddit's help center defines ban evasion as a user being banned from a community, "then using an alternative Reddit account to continue participating in that community." It also covers creating or using accounts to keep breaking Reddit's policies after a sitewide ban, and recreating a subreddit that admins banned. All of these fall under Rule 2 of the Reddit content policy.
How it works
Who decides. For community bans, Reddit says it only reviews ban evasion when the community's moderators report it, because "some moderators may be okay with a user returning" on another account in good faith. The user must actually be banned from that community. Reddit says it "will not consider automoderator shadow bans as community bans."
How it is detected. Moderators can turn on the ban evasion filter in their Safety Filters. Reddit says it uses signals about how users connect to Reddit and information they share with Reddit, not the content of the post. Mods choose:
- A time frame: past few weeks, past few months, or within this year (how recently the original account was banned).
- A filtering level for posts and comments: High (more content filtered, more false positives) or Moderate (less filtered, higher accuracy).
Flagged posts and comments go to the mod queue with information about the suspected link. Reddit says the filter "isn't 100% accurate." A mod can approve a flagged user's content three times, or add them as an approved user, to stop future flags. Modmail has a matching Filtered folder for messages from suspected ban evaders.
What happens. Mods report suspected evasion to Reddit. Reddit's transparency report lists repeated evasion of community or sitewide bans among the reasons for automated permanent bans.
Why it matters for marketers
The usual story: a brand account gets a subreddit ban in the community where its buyers are. Someone on the team makes a fresh account and keeps posting there. The ban evasion filter catches the new account's comments, the mods report it, and now both accounts are at risk sitewide, along with anything else Reddit links to them.
Having more than one account is allowed. Reddit's help center says you are "more than welcome to create multiple Reddit accounts." Using one to get back into a place you were banned from is not.
What to do instead
- Appeal through the ban message, which goes to the community's modmail.
- Accept the ban and spend your time in other communities.
- If you were suspended sitewide, use the appeal in your ban notice. You have six months.
Frequently asked questions
Is having an alt account ban evasion?
No. Reddit allows multiple accounts. It becomes ban evasion only when you use another account to participate somewhere you are banned, or to keep breaking rules after a sitewide ban.
Can Reddit detect ban evasion?
Reddit offers moderators a ban evasion filter based on account signals such as how users connect to Reddit. Reddit says it is not 100% accurate. Mods can also report suspected evaders to Reddit, which reviews the report.
What is the penalty for ban evasion?
It can lead to sitewide suspension. Reddit lists repeated ban evasion among the reasons for automated permanent bans.