It was brought to my attention that the lock icon 
appearing next to the names of some categories could be giving the wrong impression.
The lock indicates that a category is accessible to the user but is not accessible to everyone. Access to some categories is based on either group membership or trust level. Access can mean the ability to read, reply, and/or make topics.
However, as far as I know, users who cannot access a category simply don’t see that category at all. Thus, any category with a lock that a user can see is something they can access, but the icon gives the opposite impression that they are locked out of it and cannot access it.
I have some initial thoughts on potential changes:
- The unlocked lock emoji
seems a natural choice, but it doesn’t look that different. - Perhaps the key
or the eye 
might work? - It looks like some people use the eye-slash emoji.
Any thoughts on swapping that emoji and/or what might make a good replacement?
Dropping these links here for future reference:
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