You can get permanently banned on Snapchat when you send explicit snaps and messages, scam people, or spread hate speech and misinformation. But the ban may not be enforced right away. It mostly comes after your account has been reported.
But how many reports does it take to get a Snapchat account banned? This is the question we will be answering today.
This article will help you understand the threshold for a permanent Snapchat account ban, the factors influencing Snapchat’s moderation team to enforce the ban, and the process it takes to decide whether to ban an account or not.
But most importantly, I’ll show you how to report inappropriate content on Snapchat. So read on to find out more.
Also Read: How To Re-Add Someone On Snapchat If You Lost Their Username?
The Number of Reports It Takes To Get Banned on Snapchat
Photo by Thought Catalog/Pexels
There’s no fixed number of reports that anyone can safely pin down as the maximum for getting an account banned for good on Snapchat. Sometimes, multiple reports can end with nothing happening, and there are times when all it takes is one report.
What moves the needle is whether a Snapchat rule has been broken. When a report is sent in, it’s reviewed by a moderator, and varying actions are taken depending on the stipulated policies. To further understand this process, let’s look at the factors that influence decisions taken by Snapchat moderators.
Check Out:
Factors Influencing Snapchat’s Ban Decision
Before a report turns into a ban, here are some factors that help decide that.
Nature of Reported Content
Photo by Lola Russian/Pexels
The severity and context of the report play a huge role in enforcing bans. Snapchat moderators don’t operate in a vacuum, so they must consider all angles.
Each guideline infraction on Snapchat is treated differently. Moderators can assess the gravity of the infringement based on the reported content’s nature. This makes distinguishing between innocent mistakes and flagrant disrespect for the rules easier.
For instance, a single error could only merit a warning, but repeated mistakes or particularly inflammatory content might result in account suspension.
Furthermore, sometimes moderators look at the impact of the violation even when the intent wasn’t malicious. Anything that causes harm, intended or not, stands a high chance of ending in a permanent ban.
Also Read:
User History and Behavior
Photo by iam hogir/Pexels
A first-time violation may be chalked up to a mistake, but repeating it twice or three times becomes a pattern and solid ground for an account ban on Snapchat.
Moderators carefully examine users’ backgrounds and behavior to see if they conform to the platform’s community standards. The purpose of this detailed operation is to avoid casting unwarranted suspicion on what could be an honest mistake.
But red flags are raised right away by persistent infractions. Once patterns are spotted, making a decision becomes easier for Snapchat moderators.
Explore:
Multiple Reports and Consensus
Photo by Lukas/Pexels
One person reporting an account may be taken at face value as an accident or a hater. But when multiple people report a Snapchat post, moderators will have no choice but to look at the issue being raised.
A report gains more weight the more voices there are behind it. This makes it easy for moderators to establish a behavioral pattern that goes against the platform’s rules and regulations. However, this still doesn’t mean an automatic ban.
Snapchat moderators must still investigate and scrutinize the report properly to avoid banning an account without a valid reason.
Trustworthiness of the Reporters
Photo by Savvas Stavrinos/Pexels
Tying up with the last point about multiple reports and consensus from many users, another critical factor that plays a role in enforcing reports is the source’s trustworthiness.
Snapchat moderators don’t know everybody that uses the platform. So all they have going on for most of these reports is word of mouth, which can be tricky sometimes.
The reliability of the report source is crucial because it contributes a level of integrity that can hold up in the Snapchat “court of law,” so to speak.
Users with a good track record of submitting valid reports are trusted more than those who send frivolous ones, mostly born out of pettiness.
Therefore, if you are a Snapchat user with the habit of sending in reports over content that doesn’t even qualify as an insult, you are technically destroying your reputation.
Check Out:
- How To Remove TikTok Filter On Snapchat?
- How To Enable Snapchat Parental Monitoring On Your Child’s Device?
Actual Evidence of a Violation
Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels
Nothing beats evidence; even Snapchat moderators will have no choice but to act on it and ban the reported account.
Evidence comes in many forms. It can be a recording of the violation or a screenshot. It simply has to capture the said violation in progress. Sometimes getting evidence is tricky since inappropriate content tends to be taken down before reaching a wider audience.
Violators also habitually delete the content once they feel they have passed the intended message and attained their goal. Therefore, if you ever find something you feel is wrong, collect the evidence immediately and send it in as a report.
Public Pressure
Photo by Rosemary Ketchum/Pexels
Snapchat is a company that’s out to make profits, so at the end of the day, the bottom line has to be protected. The last thing they would want is to anger their investors, so when there’s public outcry about a violation, even if it’s not severe enough to warrant a ban, Snapchat will have no choice but to close the account.
When many users voice their concerns, the platform’s dedication to user safety and community standards takes priority. Pressure from the general public is the perfect catalyst for taking action, and the moderators will immediately examine the flagged accounts and content with even greater care.
Some of the Snapchat accounts that get banned quickly are usually due to public outcries. Therefore, never make enemies.
Check Out:
Snapchat’s Review and Moderation Process
Photo by Solen Feyissa/Pexels
As I’ve mentioned, reports don’t get acted upon immediately when sent in. A moderator must look at it from all angles before deciding. Here’s what happens behind the scenes.
1. User Sends Report
The first step is for a user to send in a report, and I’ve provided a detailed guide on how to do this in a later section. One can make a wide range of reports, but they all follow the same process.
You’re provided a list of options and even a section where you can expound a little more on the nature of your report. Once done, you can submit it and wait for action.
Also Read: How To Find Deleted Friends On Snapchat?
2. Initial Content Review
This is also called Automated Screening. Here, Snapchat uses automated algorithms to screen the report for specific words usually used by violators. This process is essential as it helps reduce work for human moderators by eliminating reports that are not serious.
Common things that get caught by automated screening include slurs, hate speech, nudity, threats, or violent language.
3. Human Moderation
Anything that gets flagged by automated screening is sent to the human moderators. A report reaching this stage means valid action needs to be taken. The people who moderate these reports are well-trained to independently assess whether the content breaks the rules.
But the human moderators’ most crucial role is to catch things that may slip through automated screening. AI tools can’t judge content based on the context, and this is where human moderators come in.
4. Content Removal or Warning
If the content is found to violate the guidelines, it’s removed right away. At the same time, the user behind the content is given a warning if it’s their first time breaking the rules. But sometimes, a first-time offense is bad enough to warrant an immediate ban.
5. Appeal Process
This section is reserved for users who feel like their content was removed unfairly or if they got suspended or banned wrongfully. They can send the appeal through the proper channels upon which the moderators take their time to review it before deciding.
Snapchat appeals rarely work because most bans and content removal based on reports are usually done with great scrutiny. So maybe watch what you post to avoid unnecessary drama like this.
Also Read:
The Reporting Process on Snapchat
Sending in a report on Snapchat is easy. Here are the steps to follow if you’re on Android or iOS.
1. Open Snapchat on your device and open the video you want to report and tap on the three dots in the bottom right corner.
2. This will bring up options on your screen. Tap on Report Snap. It’s usually displayed in red.
3. You’ll be taken to a new page with options that allow you to specify the exact nature of your report.
4. This is followed by an option to write more details that better explain what you’re reporting. Once done, hit Submit to send the report in.
What Is the Ban Threshold for Snapchat?
Photo by Sanket Mishra/Pexels
Not every report turns into a Snapchat ban, so now the question that begs an answer is what is bad enough to cause a problem for an account holder. Here’s a quick overview of some things that can get your account into trouble.
- Sexual Content and Nudity: You can get reported for posting nudity or pornographic material on Snapchat. Since the platform is a public place for people to interact with each other, including teenagers, any sexually explicit content gets flagged immediately. Getting banned is usually fast for this type of violation compared to other infractions.
- Cyberbullying: Taking part in online harassment of other users is another direct ticket to getting your account banned for good. Displaying threatening behavior towards another user or sending them abusive messages is prohibited. Hate speech, racism, discrimination, or inciting violence against a specific group are also high on the list of attracting swift bans on Snapchat.
- Violence or Self-Harm: Uploading graphically violent content will get your account reported immediately. The same applies to posting content that encourages self-harm. Snapchat has clear terms of service that prohibit these kinds of violations.
- Impersonation: Pretending to be someone else is frowned upon across many social media platforms, and Snapchat isn’t any different. Creating an account impersonating a celebrity, any public figure, or another user for that matter, is enough grounds to get reported and banned.
- Scamming Users: While social media platforms like Snapchat are perfect for promoting businesses and even generating revenue, it’s easy for people to use their influence to start scamming people. You may get reported and banned if you frequently get involved in spammy behavior, like sending suspicious links and messages.
- Copyright Infringement: You cannot use other people’s works and pass them off as your own on Snapchat without attributing them to the rightful owners. This is called copyright infringement, and your account can get flagged on the spot, and a permanent ban usually follows swiftly.
Check Out: How To Turn-off Discover On Snapchat?
Wrapping Up
As you can see, Snapchat has a robust framework for dealing with reports to avoid banning people without a valid reason.
There’s no fixed number of reports that determine whether an account gets banned; emphasis is on the context and severity of the violation, and whether the user is a repeat offender.
Sometimes a single report can lead to immediate banning, and sometimes several reports have to be sent in, followed by a warning before a ban occurs.
Therefore, uphold the Snapchat guidelines anytime you use the app to avoid getting into unnecessary trouble.