How to Get Out of Twitter Jail

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Easily avoid a suspension on X with this user-friendly guide
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Twitter Jail is a slang phrase used to describe anyone who has been suspended or shadowbanned on X, formerly known as Twitter. [1] Suspensions can stem from violating X's activity limits, or violating X's rules and terms of service. This wikiHow guide will help you remain in good standing on X, and get out of Twitter jail should you find yourself there.

Things You Should Know

  • Avoid Twitter Jail by following X's activity limits. Do not tweet more than 2400 times a day, and do not send more than 500 DMs in a day.
  • If you are placed in Twitter Jail due to exceeding X's activity limits, simply be patient and wait several hours until the suspension has been lifted.
  • If you believe you have been suspended unnecessarily, you can file an appeal with X.
Section 1 of 4:

Understanding X/Twitter Limits

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  1. This includes retweets and links. If you exceed this limit, you will be in Twitter Jail until the new 24 hour period begins.
    • This limit is broken down semi-hourly, so users should avoid tweeting more than 100 times within an hour.
    • Repeated violation of this limit could lead to a larger suspension.
  2. If you exceed the limit, you will be in Twitter Jail until the next day.
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  3. If the X platform system finds you retweeting the same links or phrases over and over, you can be sent to Twitter Jail.
    • Limit the amount of links you use in your tweets. Only tweeting outside links is a red flag for a spam account, and can put you in Twitter Jail.
  4. The site refers to this as “aggressive following" and may flag even lesser behavior as jail-worthy.
    • Once your account is following a total of 5000 other users, you can only follow additional accounts in accordance with account-specific ratios laid out by X. [2]
  5. Exceeding this limit could land you in Twitter Jail.
    • Violating this limit or any other could cause X to view your account as spam, resulting in an increased suspension.
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Section 2 of 4:

Understanding X/Twitter Rules

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  1. To protect its users, X has established several safety-related rules. Violating any of these could lead to a long-term or permanent suspension:
    • Use of Violent Speech
    • Affiliating With Violent or Hateful Entities
    • Child Sexual Exploitation
    • Abuse/Harassment
    • Hateful Conduct
    • Perpetrating Real-life Violent Attacks
    • Promotion or Encouragement of Suicide/Self-Harm
    • Sharing Excessively Gory or Sexually Violent Content
    • Soliciting or Distributing Illegal or Regulated Goods
  2. X's Privacy rules protect other users from being compromised or endangered by your behavior. X may also suspend your account to protect you if they believe you are the subject of a privacy attack. Avoid the following:
    • Sharing Other People's Private Information
    • Non-Consensual Nudity
    • Account Compromise
  3. X's Authenticity rules ensure fair and equal use of the social media site. Violating any of these could lead to a long-term or permanent suspension.
    • Platform Manipulation and Spam
    • Civic Integrity
    • Misleading and Deceptive Identities
    • Synthetic and Manipulated Media
    • Violating Copyright and Trademark [3]
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Section 3 of 4:

Getting Out of Twitter Jail

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  1. X generally communicates to its users whether or not they have been suspended. You will see an Account suspended message on your profile page, with a short description explaining the specific term(s) you have violated.
    • You may also receive an email with similar information. If your suspension is specific to a tweet, the email will include that tweet.
    • If you are told that you have violated an X rule, but do not agree with this assessment, you can file an appeal .
      • Before doing so, click here to read the full description of each rule.
    • If your account has been identified as spam, X may ask you to confirm your email address and phone number upon signing in.
  2. If you receive the suspension error message when you are trying to tweet, message or retweet after being very active, you are most likely in temporary Twitter Jail.
    • Read the limits section above to see how long you are likely to have an inactive account.
    • After several hours or a day, you can try to tweet again, and it should go through.
  3. X also has API limits. In other words, they limit the interactions between applications and software more than direct interaction with the X platform website.
    • Many people find it easier to end up in Twitter Jail if they are using a third-party X client, a blog, a phone app and a computer.
  4. If taking protective measures against Twitter Jail doesn't set you free, you may have to file an appeal. You can appeal any violation, although if your account has been accused of abusive behavior, it may be difficult to overturn X’s decision.
    • If X believes they have associated you with spam incorrectly they will likely reinstate your account and apologize.
    • It may take several hours for the account to return to normal. [4]
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Section 4 of 4:

Managing Your Tweets

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  1. X has set what they believe are reasonable limits for personal tweeting.
    • Dial back your tweeting for a week, to see if your results actually improve as you are more discerning.
  2. If you do not want to limit your tweets or follows, then make a second or third free X account.
    • Try to associate the accounts to each other, so that it will be easy to gain followers who are familiar with your first account.
  3. Choose whether you want to use the desktop website, mobile app, or a third-party X client.
    • Reducing your X clients will help you to remain within API limits and keep you out of Twitter Jail.
  4. Many X users may connect their account to their blog, website, or third-party social media management app to automatically post links to their writing. If you want to post links to your blog yourself, unlink your website from your X account. This gives you greater control over the amount of tweets that go out in relation to your work.
    • If you do not want to tweet new content yourself, then linking your accounts can still be the best option.
  5. If you consistently communicate with a good friend or colleague via X DMs, consider having that conversation elsewhere.
    • Direct messaging limits may be easy to reach if you are using them for work or important conversations.
    • Reach out via email or phone to save time with work conversations or networking.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What triggers Twitter shadowbanning?
    Naveh Ben Dror
    Social Media Security Expert
    Naveh Ben Dror is a Social Media Security Expert and the CEO of Spikerz based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Naveh and his team provide social media protection for content creators, businesses, and enterprises. His professional background is in international brand marketing and e-commerce. Naveh received both his Bachelor of Law and MBA from Reichman University.
    Naveh Ben Dror
    Social Media Security Expert
    Expert Answer
    Shadow banning on Twitter (X.com) can be triggered by various actions that violate the platform's rules and guidelines. Examples include engaging in abusive behavior such as harassment, hate speech, or threats towards other users. Additionally, repeatedly violating Twitter's policies on spamming, such as sending a high volume of unsolicited messages or posting duplicate content, can lead to shadow banning. Using automated tools or bots to artificially amplify engagement, manipulate trends, or spread misinformation may also result in shadow banning. Furthermore, posting or sharing content that contains violence, adult material, or copyrighted material without permission can trigger punitive measures, including shadow banning. It's important to follow Twitter's community standards to avoid being shadow-banned and maintain a positive experience for yourself and other users.
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  • Question
    I reached the Twitter DM limit. How long do I have to wait until I can DM someone again?
    Community Answer
    You must wait until 12 AM of that day. You should be able to DM someone by the next day.
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  • Question
    My Twitter account says there may have been suspicious activity and I have to reset my password, but even when I reset it, I get the same prompt and cannot log in. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    If you're using a mobile device, try switching your password on a computer. It worked when that happened to me.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://schott.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/twitter-jail/?_r=0
      2. ↑ https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/x-limits
      3. ↑ https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twitter-rules
      4. ↑ http://inspiretothrive.com/2013/06/twitter-jail/

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        Aug 14, 2018

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