diff --git a/docs/moderation/README.md b/docs/moderation/README.md
index 528bae17..3c4f941b 100644
--- a/docs/moderation/README.md
+++ b/docs/moderation/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ bitvid is follow-centric. Your Home feed comes from people you follow (F1). Disc
 ## Core principles
 - **Freedom to choose**: User picks filters. Defaults are safe but reversible.
 - **Explain decisions**: Every blur/hide shows a “why” badge and a “show anyway” control.
-- **Whitelist > blacklist**: Prefer showing content from trusted networks over fighting global spam.
+- **Blacklist > whitelist**: Admin blacklists and moderation gates always win; whitelists only influence Discovery ranking.
 - **Minimal central power**: Admin lists are opt-in; users can unsubscribe.
 
 ## Threat model (short)
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Operators can delegate hard-hide decisions to trusted curators without giving th
 
 1. The super admin maintains a `kind 30000` list with `d=${ADMIN_LIST_NAMESPACE}:${ADMIN_COMMUNITY_BLACKLIST_SOURCES}`. Each `a` tag references a community curator’s blacklist as `30000:<curator hex pubkey>:${ADMIN_LIST_NAMESPACE}:${ADMIN_COMMUNITY_BLACKLIST_PREFIX}:<slug>`.
 2. Every curator publishes their own `kind 30000` list using the referenced `d` tag (`${ADMIN_LIST_NAMESPACE}:${ADMIN_COMMUNITY_BLACKLIST_PREFIX}:<slug>`) and fills it with `p` tags for accounts they want hidden.
-3. bitvid automatically fetches each referenced list, merges the entries into the global blacklist, and removes any duplicates or guard-protected accounts (super admin, editors, or whitelist members).
+3. bitvid automatically fetches each referenced list, merges the entries into the global blacklist, and removes any duplicates or guard-protected accounts (super admin or editors).
 
 To add a community list, append a new `a` tag to the super-admin source list and ask the curator to publish their companion `p` list. To remove a list, delete the `a` tag or ask the curator to clear their `p` entries; the client stops ingesting it on the next refresh.
 
diff --git a/js/accessControl.js b/js/accessControl.js
index 7d163ac1..0e0f4b70 100644
--- a/js/accessControl.js
+++ b/js/accessControl.js
@@ -265,7 +265,6 @@ class AccessControl {
     const whitelistChanged = !areSetsEqual(previousWhitelist, this.whitelist);
 
     const blacklistDedupe = dedupeNpubs(blacklist);
-    const whitelistSet = new Set(normalizedWhitelist.map(normalizeNpub));
     const adminGuardSet = new Set([
       normalizeNpub(ADMIN_SUPER_NPUB),
       ...Array.from(this.editors),
@@ -275,9 +274,6 @@ class AccessControl {
       if (!normalized) {
         return false;
       }
-      if (whitelistSet.has(normalized)) {
-        return false;
-      }
       if (adminGuardSet.has(normalized)) {
         return false;
       }
@@ -698,15 +694,9 @@ class AccessControl {
     if (!normalized) {
       return false;
     }
-    if (this.whitelist.has(normalized)) {
-      return false;
-    }
 
     const normalizedHexCandidate = normalizeHexKey(normalized);
     if (normalizedHexCandidate) {
-      if (this.whitelistPubkeys.has(normalizedHexCandidate)) {
-        return false;
-      }
       return this.blacklistPubkeys.has(normalizedHexCandidate);
     }
 
@@ -754,14 +744,14 @@ class AccessControl {
         return false;
       }
 
-      if (this.whitelistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
-        return true;
-      }
-
       if (this.blacklistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
         return false;
       }
 
+      if (this.whitelistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
       if (this.whitelistEnabled && !this.whitelistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
         return false;
       }
@@ -778,22 +768,22 @@ class AccessControl {
     }
 
     if (hex) {
-      if (this.whitelistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
-        return true;
-      }
       if (this.blacklistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
         return false;
       }
-    }
-
-    if (this.whitelist.has(normalized)) {
-      return true;
+      if (this.whitelistPubkeys.has(hex)) {
+        return true;
+      }
     }
 
     if (this.blacklist.has(normalized)) {
       return false;
     }
 
+    if (this.whitelist.has(normalized)) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
     if (this.whitelistEnabled && !this.whitelist.has(normalized)) {
       return false;
     }