Global Ban Federation

The Problem With Isolated Bans

When you ban a spammer, scammer, or troll from your Telegram group, they are only banned from that one group. Nothing stops them from joining your other groups, or the groups of communities you are connected with, and continuing their disruptive behavior there. For communities that operate networks of related groups, this means the same troublemaker can harass multiple groups before each one independently discovers and bans them. The result is repeated damage across your community network, with each group learning the same lesson the hard way.

The global ban federation solves this by sharing ban information across connected groups. When you ban someone in one group, the ban is propagated to every group in the federation. The troublemaker is removed from all connected groups simultaneously, preventing them from simply moving to another group in your network to continue their behavior. This network wide approach to moderation is dramatically more effective than isolated bans, because it eliminates the whack a mole problem where banned users just pop up in another group.

How the Federation Works

The federation is a network of groups that share moderation decisions. When you connect your group to the federation using /connect, your group begins receiving global ban notifications and can issue global bans that affect all other connected groups. The /disconnect command removes your group from the federation, returning it to isolated moderation.

The federation is opt in, meaning no group is forced to participate. Each group owner decides whether to connect, and can disconnect at any time if they disagree with the federation's moderation decisions. This respects group autonomy while still providing the benefits of network wide protection. Groups that are not connected operate with standard isolated bans, while connected groups benefit from the shared intelligence of the entire federation.

Issuing a Global Ban

The /gban command issues a global ban. When you gban a user, they are banned from your group and from every other group in the federation. The ban includes a reason that is visible to all admins across the network, so every group owner can see why the user was banned and make their own judgment about whether the ban was justified. This transparency is essential for maintaining trust within the federation.

The /ungban command reverses a global ban, removing the user from the global ban list and allowing them to rejoin connected groups. This is important for cases where a ban was issued in error, or where the user has appealed and the federation has agreed to lift the ban. The ability to reverse global bans ensures that the system remains fair and that mistakes can be corrected.

Global Mute

Not every situation warrants a full ban. The /gmute command issues a global mute, which restricts the user from sending messages in all connected groups without fully removing them. This is useful for users who are being disruptive in their messaging but are not engaging in serious violations that would warrant a ban. The /ungmute command reverses a global mute.

Global mute provides a graduated response system. Instead of jumping straight to a ban for every violation, admins can use global mute as a warning that carries consequences across the entire federation. This gives users an opportunity to correct their behavior before facing a full ban, which is particularly important for communities that value second chances and progressive discipline.

Case Management

Every global ban and mute creates a case that is tracked in the federation database. The /gcase command shows details about a specific global ban case, including the user, the reason, the admin who issued it, and the date. The /gstat command shows statistics about global bans, including total bans, active bans, and recent activity.

Case management creates accountability within the federation. When every global ban is documented with a reason and an admin name, federation members can review the moderation history and ensure that global bans are being used appropriately. This prevents abuse of the system by individual admins and maintains trust in the federation as a whole.

Appealing a Global Ban

Users who have been globally banned can appeal through the /appeal command. The appeal is reviewed by the federation admins, who can decide to lift the global ban if they determine it was issued in error or if the user has demonstrated that they will not repeat the behavior. This appeals process is essential for maintaining fairness, because global bans affect users across multiple groups and a wrongful ban can have widespread consequences.

The appeals process also serves as a check on federation power. If global bans are being issued too aggressively or for minor violations, the appeals process provides a mechanism for users to challenge those decisions. This balance between enforcement and appeal is what makes the federation system sustainable over the long term.

Available Commands