I should note that it took a considerable amount of work to implement this new feature. The aim is to increase freedom of expression while providing some legal protections for the platform owner.

I wonder why the original June 1, 2026 article AUSTRALIA vs X (Part 2) was censored and hidden from public view by the administrators of Fifth Estate Press, when the same article is not in any way censored or hidden by Substack?

Question

Is the platform "Substack" moderated by its administrators to block or hide articles or comments they deem too sensitive for public viewing?

Answer from Google AI

Substack takes a heavily decentralized approach to moderation, meaning administrators do not actively block or hide articles or comments simply because they are deemed "sensitive" or controversial.

Instead, the platform leaves the vast majority of editorial control and community management in the hands of the individual writers and publication owners. 
 
However, Substack’s hands-off philosophy is not entirely absolute.

Platform administrators do intervene in specific scenarios governed by their Substack Content Guidelines:  

1. Platform-Wide Bans (The Red Lines)
Substack administrators will remove articles, comments, or entire accounts if they cross strict, non-negotiable legal or safety thresholds.

These include: 
 
Severe Harm & Illegal Activity: Incitement to violence, child exploitation, terrorism, doxxing, and active harassment.

Commercial Restrictions: Spam, phishing, and plagiarism.
Pornography: Substack strictly prohibits explicit pornographic imagery or video for the sole purpose of sexual gratification. While artistic nudity and erotica are permitted, explicit media is routinely hidden from discovery features like search or the Substack homepage.  

2. Algorithmic "Hiding" vs. Censorship
Substack administrators do not manually screen normal political or sensitive commentary. However, to maintain a clean platform experience, Substack's underlying systems automatically suppress:
 
Discovery Filter: Sensitive, adult-oriented, or highly explicit material is restricted from appearing on the public Substack app feed and search results, even if the article itself remains accessible via direct link.

Geographic Compliance: Substack actively hides or blocks content in specific countries if mandated by local legislation, such as the UK Online Safety Act or Australia’s online safety regulations.  

3. Creator-Led Moderation Tools
If a comment or note is hidden, it is almost always the doing of the individual publication owner, not Substack administration. Substack equips writers with autonomous tools, including:  

 
Reply Rules: A feature that allows creators to set automated criteria (e.g., "no AI slop", "stay on topic"). Substack’s system learns from when a creator manually hides a comment and will preemptively filter similar replies.

Bans and Deletions: Creators have complete authority to delete comments, restrict email replies, or issue user blocks within their own digital spaces. 

--ooOoo--

https://x.com/gamke/status/2106245684471144503?s=2…

Just to be clear; is the purpose of this to allow maximum freedom of expression, without the website (or it's creators/admin) being held accountable for something a reader may not agree with or something which may not be deemed politically correct?

Side note: Sometimes I feel like sharing my thoughts but fear if I say something too truthful, I might end up targeted by those who cannot be named... Tin foil conspiracy theorist like concern, I know. But people are targeted over the truth all the time in the real world, what makes me any different?...

I think it’s excellent—it’s good for fans to read it without sharing it further, treating it as a cautionary tale. But if there are those who dislike it and threaten to sue or destroy the platform, then you might as well destroy the world too, because there are plenty of bad people out there as well.👍👍