Ishawna Says She’s Being Sabotaged On Social Media

New Year’s Eve is usually filled with cheerful recap posts on social media, but singjay Ishawna rang in 2024 with screenshots of what she’s describing as deliberate attacks on her online platforms. 

“Hey guys, as the new year approaches, I feel it’s important to bring something to y’all attention that I’ve been dealing with for YEARS!” the Equal Rights hitmaker wrote. “The constant targeted attacks to my social media platforms have made it difficult to connect and communicate with you guys. I’ve been dealing with this frustrating matter privately for years but today, I feel it’s important to make it public because of the misconceptions about my artistry and most importantly to be transparent with my fans!”

The Restraining Order artist shared instances of her content being restricted on Instagram due to legal requests dating back to 2021. According to Instagram, users can report content they feel violates their personal legal rights or local law (like hate speech and bullying), which usually coincides with Instagram’s community guidelines.

Besides the general “report” prompt available in the drop-down menu of every post, users in the EU can also fill out a legal removal request form if they find particular content unlawful. While all requests are investigated, Instagram doesn’t guarantee that the content will be removed. 

The frequency of the strikes has been demotivating for Ishawna, who admitted to retreating from the space when frustrated, which has been misinterpreted as musical disinterest. 

“You sometimes might think I’m being inconsistent with music releases or always going ghost for no reason, but the real reason is that I’m deeply discouraged to put out music because of the severe sabotage and restrictions I’m fighting against everyday to make sure my content is seen, heard and reciprocated,” Ishawna shared. 

She went on to argue her case of sabotage with screenshots from her account’s analytics. While she has 841,000 Instagram followers, one report showed more than 800,000 accounts unfollowing her as of November 26, but suddenly reappearing by December 2. 

“And it’s not only my social medias that are being sabotaged. My YouTube and multiple search engines have all been compromised and it makes it difficult for my fans to find and support my music. But as you all know, attacks on my career is nothing new to me.”

Despite the setback, she gets strength from her fans whom she thanked for their unwavering support.   

“Being a strong opinionated woman in this industry comes with its challenges but the love and support from you all continue to inspire and sustain me through all the adversities,” she said. “I love you guys so much and I will continue to fight through it all. Happy New Year!”

Ishawna’s latest release is Billionaire, released three months ago.