The Problem: In the absence of a central authority, content moderation on Nostr is a fragmented, opaque, and potentially arbitrary process. It shifts from the platform to individual relay operators, client developers, and communities, creating a complex landscape where censorship can be just as effective but less accountable.

The Data: Field research shows that moderation is a primary function for relays. However, policies are highly variable: ranging from keyword whitelists/blacklists, to blocking entire public key prefixes (npub), to requiring payment to post. Some clients also implement user-side filters. This creates a situation where a user can be “deplatformed” not from a single platform, but from an entire constellation of relays and clients, making censorship harder to identify and challenge.

Practical Implication: “Freedom of speech” is not guaranteed, but negotiated differently. A user can always publish, but no one is obligated to relay or display their content. Censorship becomes a distributed, privatized act. For a user, navigating this system requires active understanding of the policies of the relays they use and the filters in their client, turning moderation from a service into a personal configuration task.

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