Yes, Primal absolutely engages in content filtering. We filter out spam from all of our feeds. This includes a bunch of pubkeys that post the same note over and over again. We also ensure that pubkeys who actively try to game our trending algorithm with bogus zaps, likes, etc. are no longer able to trend. This is a service to our users.

We will soon offer the option where users can set the list of pubkeys that should never get filtered, therefore giving each user the final word on filtering. Given that our entire stack is open sourced under the MIT license, everyone is free to stand up their own clones of Primal and set their own rules. Let the most competent operator win!

Finally, the beauty of Nostr is that you don't need to use Primal at all. There are many great alternatives, so all those who don't like the way we run things have other options. At the end of the day, all Nostr clients will compete in providing the highest quality signal to the users and we are here for it. 💜