Algospeak

Black and trans users, and those from other marginalized communities, often use algospeak to discuss the oppression they face, swapping out words for “white” or “racist.”

By recognizing that keywords can be used to filter content, internet users have resorted to algospeak, the consensual substitution of censored terms with uncensored terms in order to evade censorship (Lorenz, 2022).

If you’ve noticed the use of newly invented words cropping up on digital platforms or words used out of context or misspelled, it’s not a new kind of social media slang—it’s algospeak.

A new vocabulary — a little fun, a little dystopian — has emerged on the social video platform, as creators try to get around algorithms and strict content moderation. They call it algospeak. […] Alessandro Bogliari, the chief executive of the Influencer Marketing Factory, said the moderation systems are clever but can make mistakes, which is why many of the influencers his company hires for marketing campaigns use algospeak.

Typically, such codes have been employed by small groups. Given the reach of social media, however, algospeak has the potential to more broadly influence everyday language.