Fear and Loathing in Zuckerberg’s Algorithm: How a Tesla Meme Got Me Shadowbanned for No Reason

The world is a goddamn mess, and the digital overlords aren’t helping. One moment, I’m sharing a satirical meme of a Tesla gearbox, and the next, I’m being treated like I just uploaded a manifesto. Facebook has me in algorithmic exile—no reach, no recommendations, no appeal beyond a vague, automated message that might as well say, “Go scream into the void.”

Let’s be clear: I didn’t even create this image. I didn’t alter it. I didn’t slap a caption on it with some deranged call to arms. I found it on Facebook. I saw it, saved it, and reposted it. That’s it. That’s my crime.

And yet, here I am—punished for a joke that’s still actively thriving on the same platform.

Elon Musk, the Nazi Salute, and the Meme Explosion

To understand why this meme is spreading like wildfire, you have to look at the swirling circus around Elon Musk—tech messiah, Twitter/X overlord, and walking controversy magnet.

A few weeks ago, Musk found himself at the center of yet another self-inflicted PR disaster. At Donald Trump’s inauguration, Musk made a gesture that many interpreted as a Nazi salute. Was it intentional? A dumb accident? Just Musk being Musk? It doesn’t matter—because in the social media Thunderdome, perception is reality.

Cue the memes. Thousands of them. Musk with a toothbrush mustache. Musk standing in front of a Reichsadler. Musk as Palpatine, Mussolini, even a fascist penguin from some obscure political cartoon. It was inevitable—because when the internet smells blood, it doesn’t hesitate.

Among the memes was the one that got me banned: a Tesla gearbox, arranged in such a way that it forms a swastika. A brutally dark piece of satire, obviously aimed at Musk’s growing association with extremist rhetoric. It was everywhere. If you typed "Tesla gearbox" into Facebook’s search bar, boom—there it was.

So, I did what people do on the internet: I shared it. And Facebook responded like I had just hijacked their servers and live-streamed war crimes.

Facebook’s Moderation is a Broken Slot Machine

Let’s be real: Facebook’s content moderation is a joke. This is a company that let white supremacists organize rallies in broad daylight for years, but somehow, I’m the threat for reposting something that already exists in a million other places on their own platform.

If the image is so dangerous, so offensive, why does it still show up when you search for it? Either it shouldn’t be on Facebook at all, or they’re selectively punishing users at random just to pretend they’re "enforcing policy."

Facebook’s approach to moderation is like a drunk referee—sometimes they make the call, sometimes they let it slide, and sometimes they blow the whistle only when they feel like it. There’s no logic, no consistency, no actual enforcement beyond random digital punishment handed out like a parking ticket in a lawless city.

And what’s my consequence? Shadowban. Reduced reach. No more recommendations. I can still post, sure—but to who? The algorithm has already decided I’m radioactive.

Meanwhile, the exact same image remains up elsewhere, being shared by users who haven’t been touched.

The Bigger Picture: Big Tech and Its Bullshit Lottery

This isn’t about one meme. This is about the arbitrary, selectively enforced, utterly broken system that governs our online lives.

Big Tech isn’t enforcing rules—they’re just playing whack-a-mole with whoever gets caught in the algorithm’s crosshairs. The same content can live on a thousand other pages, but if you get flagged, you pay the price. There’s no explanation, no human oversight—just a machine making godlike decisions about who gets to have an audience and who gets quietly buried.

And the real kicker? They won’t admit it. They won’t acknowledge that this meme is still up everywhere else. They won’t explain why I was singled out while others remain untouched. And they sure as hell won’t fix the problem.

Because they don’t have to.

Final Thoughts: Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes

At this point, I know how this ends. I’ll appeal. I’ll send my little digital plea into the abyss. Maybe I’ll get a response, maybe I won’t. But we all know the real answer.

Facebook doesn’t care about consistency.

Facebook doesn’t care about fairness.

Facebook doesn’t care that I’m being penalized for content that’s still searchable on their own platform.

This isn’t about what’s allowed. It’s about who gets caught.

And today, I’m just another poor bastard who spun the wheel and landed on “banned.”