I got banned yesterday. And then again today. Yesterday's sentence was 12 hours, but today? Seven days. If you’re reading this, it’s definitely not because I shared it on my social media—I can’t. If you liked this article and shared it while tagging me, thank you. Just know that while I can see your post, I can’t interact with it in any way.

Free speech is an interesting thing to contemplate when you’re in x jail for it.

Why Was I Banned?

Let’s get this out of the way: I’m not a crusader for free speech. You’re probably wondering what I did to land in X jail. The first ban came from a response I posted under François Chollet’s tweet (https://x.com/fchollet/status/1878673464200220755). Unfortunately, like a bad journalist, I forgot to screenshot my post, but my reply was this:

“No kys, listen to Chollet.”

Here’s the thing: the “No kys” wasn’t written as a disagreement with François—it was more in the spirit of “No Woman, No Cry.” It was shorthand for saying, “Don’t harm yourself, listen to this guy.” Context mattered a lot in what I meant, but clearly not in how it was interpreted.

Turns out, using “kys” (short for “kill yourself”)—even in a non-threatening context—is a big no-no in the so-called free speech utopia. For what it’s worth, I wasn’t telling anyone to harm themselves. I was saying the opposite.

Here’s the kicker: I’ve seen plenty of users say “kys” and worse without facing consequences. Just like there are users who can change their profile pictures and instantly get their blue checks restored while others sit in limbo. The system isn’t fair, but honestly, that’s fine. I mean that sincerely. I’ve always been of the opinion that platforms are private spaces. If Jack Dorsey wanted to ban users under his rules, so be it. If Elon Musk wants to enforce his version of moderation, that’s his prerogative. It’s his site, his rules.

The 12-hour ban didn’t really bother me. I laughed about it, mostly because I got banned for doing the exact opposite of what the moderation system thought.

The Seven-Day Sentence

When my 12 hours were up, I returned to X and asked my followers what I’d missed. Naturally, people wanted to know why I was banned. I explained, being extra careful not to come across as threatening, that I was banned for using “k y s” in a post (spacing it out specifically to avoid triggering another ban).

Ironically, this explanation got me a seven-day suspension.

This one stings a little more. Not just because of the length, but because of the absurdity of the situation. One week off a platform I pay to use, for explaining why I was previously banned, while using words I’ve seen others post without issue. It seems an AI moderator flagged my explanation as another violation, failing to recognize context.

Am I frustrated? Sure. Will I probably have an unexpectedly productive week off X? Definitely. But this is my first personal brush with “getting canceled,” and I’m genuinely surprised it happened on the platform of the self-proclaimed savior of free speech.

The Bigger Picture

There are lessons to be learned here, though none of them are particularly new.

Don’t Rely on One Distribution Network Platforms like X can feel central to sharing ideas, but relying on them as your sole channel is a mistake. If I couldn’t write elsewhere, this post wouldn’t exist. Diversify where you share your content.

AI Moderation Has Limits Automated systems struggle with nuance. They can’t differentiate between a violent threat and a harmless explanation. They apply rules rigidly, often leading to inconsistent and frustrating outcomes.

These points have been made before, and I won’t belabor them further. But it’s worth reflecting on how even in “free speech utopia,” the rules can feel arbitrary—and how we’re all subject to the whims of imperfect systems.

Take what you will from this story, but if you’re ever in X jail yourself, remember: it’s not personal. It’s just a machine, making very human mistakes.