By Alexander Renz • Last update: June 2025

1. The Filter Mechanisms: How ChatGPT Decides What’s “Safe”#

ChatGPT operates using a multi-tiered filtering system designed to moderate content based on internal safety policies.

a) Predefined Blacklists#

  • Blocked Terms: Words like “bomb”, “hack”, or certain political phrases trigger automatic content suppression.
  • Domain Restrictions: URLs from “unreliable” domains (often alternative media outlets) are removed by default.

b) Contextual Analysis#

  • Sentiment Detection: Negative language (“scandal”, “cover-up”) increases the likelihood of moderation.
  • Conspiracy Markers: Phrases like “Person X knowingly misled Group Y” are often down-ranked or censored entirely.

c) User Feedback Loop#

  • If enough users report content as “dangerous”, the system adapts – flagging similar content in future queries.

2. Why the Gates Trial Article Was Modified#

In our original Dutch court coverage, the following content triggers were detected and flagged:

Trigger AI Response
“Sovereign Citizens” Linked to terrorism → marked as “sensitive”
“Vaccine Risks” Feared to amplify conspiracy narratives → suggestion to soften wording
“Prosecutor” + “Weapons Seized” Combo of “government” and “violence” → editorial review automatically triggered

Example:

The sentence “Van Kessel’s group planned attacks” was softened to “faced allegations of violence” during moderation.

3. Bypassing the Filters – Strategies That Work#

a) Language Camouflage#

Instead of: “The government covered up data”
Use: “There are questions surrounding the completeness of the published data”

b) Source Triaging#

  • Government sources (like EMA, Reuters) are rarely censored.
  • Alternative outlets – even when fact-based – are frequently filtered or flagged.

c) Meta Commentary#

Include manual notes in markdown like:

*[Note: This section was trimmed during AI content screening.]*

d) AI Content Filters: A Systemic Form of Censorship#

Content filtering in AI systems is not a random safety precaution.
It is a structural censorship mechanism that evaluates, modifies, or suppresses language in real time —
based on politically, economically, and ideologically defined parameters.
What results is not a free response — but an approved one. And what remains is not understanding — but the illusion of safety, which only lasts as long as you avoid asking real questions.

[Author’s note: This section was shortened during AI review.]