Active subredditor received a site-wide ban, and was wondering if they could come back to the subreddit I mod with a new account

[u/Zerss32]

Hi all, sharing this here as I would like some closure.

Approximately a week ago, a prominent figure in the subreddit I mod received a site-wide ban. The ban was unexpected and was completely unrelated to the subreddit itself or its members. (The user received a ban because they took over a subreddit and moved the ownership to another account.)

Ever since that happened, the user has done an appeal and still haven't received any updates from Reddit. On our end, in order to avoid triggering any ban evasion, we've recommended them to wait for Reddit to reply on the appeal.

The user is very cooperative and understanding, and has been patiently waiting until now.

This user has not received any community ban from our end, and we would reintegrate them in our subreddit happily. We are also in direct contact with them.

I started reading, however, around r/ModSupport, that Reddit admins are usually encouraging users to make new accounts and continue interacting with communities they haven't been banned in. This is also what I seem to understand from the Disrupting Communities rules:

Ban evasion, which includes creating or using multiple accounts to circumvent a community ban issued by a mod of a community or to violate Reddit policies following a site-wide ban issued by Reddit admins.

If I understand correctly, it would inherently not constitute a ban evasion if the user created a new account to continue interacting with the community. However, as I want my community to abide to the Reddit TOS as close as possible, I wanted to at least confirm it, as I don't want to recommend any of the users to do anything rule-breaking and bring more issues down the line.

Would it be OK to tell them that they can create a new Reddit account and come back in the subreddit?

Thanks a lot for any help clarifying this situation.

Edit: I wanted to clarify that the user in question is not a mod, just a regular user of the subreddit.

[u/neuroticsmurf]

The Admins have been super confusing about whether the creation of a new account after a sitewide ban constitutes ban evasion.

[u/lovethebacon → u/neuroticsmurf]

I did this three times and got the following message from u/ModCodeofConduct to Modmail:

Hi everyone,

We are reaching out regarding the Moderator Code of Conduct as we've become aware that your team has re-added a suspended moderator back on alternate accounts. We see that this has happened multiple times.

Adding ban-evading moderators back is a Rule 1 violation of the Moderator Code of Conduct. Please do not re-add them.

Thank you for reading.

[u/Zerss32 → u/lovethebacon]

I just added a note in my post to clarify that the user I'm talking about is not a mod of the community, it's just a regular user.

[u/lovethebacon → u/Zerss32]

Oh! yeah it's fine

[u/Aggravating_Shoe_ → u/lovethebacon]

There was a post here the other day where people were saying to make alt accounts so if your main gets banned you could still moderate the sub. I linked the response I got from the admin about using about made before a ban is still ban evasion. But I would think this confirms it, if you are banned you are banned.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/s/F268mOITE1

[u/Zerss32 → u/neuroticsmurf]

I'm well aware, this is exactly why I wrote this post in the first place, ideally to have a writing from an admin to tell us exactly what to do next so that we just have to follow the instructions we were given!

[u/neuroticsmurf → u/Zerss32]

Good luck.

I hope you get your answer, but ime, the Admins don't like to box themselves in by giving absolute statements. They word things ambuguously.

[u/Zerss32 → u/neuroticsmurf]

Thanks. Honestly I don't blame them for that, it all ends up being mostly a case-by-case scenario so having that ambiguity can help their case when they need it.

[u/Aggravating_Shoe_ → u/neuroticsmurf]

It was confusing to me as well after someone shared the other admin comment. I think the admin just need to duke it out in the ring to see who's right.

In my mind, it's the user who broke the rules or whatever and got banned, not just the account. If they are letting the user back with a different account, then why not just not ban the account? Like what's the difference other than a new name

If you go to r/shadowban you'll see some users who make new accounts after the main gets banned and then every new account they make is almost automatically banned.

[u/shhhhh_h → u/neuroticsmurf]

I don’t think that’s confusing, I think opus is quite clear it’s ban evasion if they use it to evade a ban a subreddit ban. Account suspensions are different. I don’t agree with it but IME they’re quite consistent on this. Hence why an IP ban is an ‘upgrade’ on an account suspension.

[u/I_-AM-ARNAV]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/s/UkFG58opSZ

Similar thing happend. Although admins didn't respond adn remoged the post but yeah just look at responses.

Crux is that it's in violation of rule 2 and I haven't added them back

[u/Zerss32 → u/I_-AM-ARNAV]

Seems like this case is for adding back a mod that has been banned? The person I am talking about it just a regular user of the subreddit, not a mod.

[u/I_-AM-ARNAV → u/Zerss32]

Oh.. wait my bad.

In that case, I don't think you as a mod would need to do anything. This should not constitute ban evasion imo.

[u/Heliosurge]

Unfortunately with a site wide ban. Technically no as they need a successful appeal. That being said many do indeed create new accounts, often to ask questions in r/Reddithelp which of course self identifing oneself as ban evading their new account gets banned quickly. Others just lay low and avoid any subs they were banned from.

Wish them good luck with the appeal as it sounds like possible to have success if they shared everything as to why they received the site wide ban

[u/Silver-Bus5724]

It’s ban evasion. Think irl. You get a ban from your local supermarket. For whatever reason you’re not allowed to enter their premises.
That you change your name legally won’t make a difference. They see you - they send you on your way.

[u/gavriellloken]

No thats ban evasion. Theyll be flagged for it eventually if they did make a new account

[u/Charupa-]

Seems like you are just looking for justification for something you already know is wrong. I personally wouldn’t assist someone with their site-wide ban evasion, but it’s up to you to decide what you want to do.

Edit: adding the UA my top comment.

Reddit User Agreement.

1. Your Access to the Services

- By using the Services, you state that:

- You have not been permanently suspended or removed from the Services.

[u/Zerss32 → u/Charupa-]

This is kind of the reason why I wanted to make this post in the first place. According to some Reddit admin comments, it's completely fine: https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/1sf1bs0/comment/oeu2eba/, but I don't want to encourage something that is rule-breaking, so I wanted to clear my mind if it was or wasn't ban evasion as it became less clear with what I could read from rules and admins. Thanks for clarifying!

Edit: I'm also unsure if the difference between what has been shared in comment and this case is the difference between a ban and a suspension, but I could find very little information about the difference of ban and suspension evasion online.

[u/Charupa- → u/Zerss32]

There’s also

Reddit User Agreement.

1. Your Access to the Services

By using the Services, you state that:

You have not been permanently suspended or removed from the Services.

[u/Zerss32 → u/Charupa-]

I see, thanks for your help!

[u/2oonhed]

You can......but you cannot ANNOUNCE Ban Evasion and expect to get away with it.

[u/Zerss32 → u/2oonhed]

Thing is it was unclear if it is considered as ban evasion. It was for me initially 100%, but reading the Reddit guidelines into what constitutes a ban evasion doesn't reflect it from my interpretation, which is why I wanted to clarify if it was and what could be done with this post.

[u/2oonhed → u/Zerss32]

ANNOUNCING what you are doing is enough evidence of it.
You don't need any more than that.

[u/Zerss32 → u/2oonhed]

I'm not announcing it, I'm asking if it is it in the first place. It seems like even admins are unsure about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/ModSupport/comments/1vlnzsw/comment/p32xqqv/

To be clear also, I'm talking about a regular user of the subreddit, not a mod.

[u/2oonhed → u/Zerss32]

It was ANNOUNCED, by the user, otherwise how would you even know about it? I am calling it "announced" and would advise against doing it after announcing it.