deplatform

verb

de·plat·form (ˌ)dē-ˈplat-ˌfȯrm

deplatformed; deplatforming; deplatforms

: to remove and ban (a registered user) from a mass communication medium (such as a social networking or blogging website)

… had almost 1.5 million Facebook followers and a quarter million followers on Instagram before he was deplatformed for repeatedly spreading misinformation …—

Peter Hoysted

broadly : to prevent from having or providing a platform (see platform entry 1 sense 3) to communicate

While deplatforming speakers deprives them of the opportunities to speak and the attendees the opportunities to learn, concerns and protests over controversial speakers, be they informed or not, are totally expected and should even be encouraged. —

Amy Lai

A platform built to challenge the oligopoly of its giant rivals was deplatformed by other giants … —

Emily Bazelon

deplatforming noun

plural deplatformings

This so-called deplatforming occurs when users are said to have violated a company's terms of service, notably regarding hate speech. —

Katherine Doyle

Deplatforming is a nonlegal strategy that involves pressuring companies to stop hosting or servicing certain individuals or forums, thus removing them from the Internet entirely or making them harder to find. —

Cindy Cohn

Examples of deplatform in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Having failed in their effort to lump us in with fake news, the media and Big Tech are looking for new ways to work together to deplatform us. —

Seth Dillon, National Review, 3 July 2021 The bill includes provisions such as a $100,000 daily fine for companies that deplatform political candidates and giving users the ability to sue the companies for violating individual protections. —

Michael Lee, Washington Examiner, 3 Feb. 2021 Apple and Google are facing new pressure to deplatform Parler, a social network founded as a less moderated and more conservative-friendly alternative to Facebook and Twitter. —

Kim Lyons, The Verge, 8 Jan. 2021 And Netflix staffers who have spoken off the record to reporters about the issue have held back from asking the company to deplatform Chappelle’s work. —

Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2021 Apple and Google faced pressure to deplatform social site Parler over calls to violence, and later in the day, Google pulled Parler from its Play Store, with Apple threatening to do the same. —

Verge Staff, The Verge, 9 Jan. 2021 The ban follows an online campaign to deplatform Tate, whose influence on his primarily young audience has become a growing concern among parents and teachers. —

Morgan Sung, NBC News, 19 Aug. 2022 What's strange about this effort to deplatform Rogan is that his popularity preceded, and made possible, his deal with Spotify. —

Damon Linker, The Week, 1 Feb. 2022 Amid the allegations swirling around the group — which Angela has never directly addressed on her TikTok page, let alone confirmed or denied — and a Change.org petition circulating to deplatform her that has racked up more than 21,000 signatures, Angela and her followers are doubling down. —

Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deplatform.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.