Reddit Deplatforming and Toxicity Dynamics on Generalist Voat Communities

TL;DR

This study examines how Reddit bans influence user migration and toxicity levels on Voat, revealing two distinct phases of community transformation driven by migration patterns and community structure.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of post-ban migration effects on toxicity and community dynamics, highlighting the importance of migration structure and timing.

Findings

Migration led to increased toxicity levels on Voat.

Two regimes of impact: hostile takeover and toxic equilibrium.

Peripheral dynamics drive community transformation, not hub capture.

Abstract

Deplatforming, the permanent banning of entire communities, is a primary tool for content moderation on mainstream platforms. While prior research examines effects on banned communities or source platform health, the impact on alternative platforms that absorb displaced users remains understudied. We analyze four major Reddit ban waves (2015--2020) and their effects on generalist communities on Voat, asking how post-ban arrivals reshape community structure and through what mechanisms transformation occurs. Combining network analysis, toxicity detection, and dynamic reputation modeling, we identify two distinct regimes of migration impact: (1) Hostile Takeover (2015--2018), where post-ban arrival cohorts formed parallel social structures that bypassed existing community cores through sheer volume, and (2) Toxic Equilibrium (2018--2020), where the flattening of existing user hierarchy enabled newcomers to integrate into the now-dominant toxic community. Crucially, community transformation occurred through peripheral dynamics rather than hub capture: fewer than 5% of newcomers achieved central positions in most months, yet toxicity doubled. Migration structure also shaped outcomes: loosely organized communities dispersed into generalist spaces, while ideologically cohesive groups concentrated in dedicated enclaves. These findings suggest that receiving platforms face a narrow intervention window during the hostile takeover phase, after which toxic norms become self-sustaining.