What Does It Mean to Be Banned on TikTok?
Being banned on TikTok means that your account has been suspended or blocked by TikTok, preventing you from accessing your account or posting new content. There are two main types of bans on TikTok:
Temporary ban: A temporary ban locks you out of your account for a set period of time, such as 24 hours or 7 days. Temporary bans are given for minor first-time violations.
Permanent ban: A permanent ban completely disables your account and removes all of your content. Permanent bans are given for severe or repeated violations of TikTok’s community guidelines.
Once your account is banned, you will not be able to log in or post any new videos or comments. Your profile, likes, followers, and previously posted videos will no longer be visible to other users. Essentially, a ban cuts off your access to TikTok and your community on the platform.
Reasons You Can Get Permanently Banned
TikTok has strict community guidelines and policies that all users must follow. Violating these guidelines repeatedly or severely can result in a permanent ban, locking users out of their account. Some of the main reasons TikTok may permanently ban an account include:
Severe or repeated violations of community guidelines – Actions like hate speech, bullying, dangerous challenges, and sexually explicit content are strictly prohibited. Engaging in these behaviors multiple times or in an egregious way can warrant a permanent ban.
Impersonation/fake accounts – Pretending to be someone else or creating a fake account for a celebrity, brand, etc. goes against TikTok’s impersonation and authenticity policies. These types of accounts often get permanently blocked if discovered.
Underage users – TikTok requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account. If the platform determines an account belongs to someone under 13, they will immediately and permanently suspend it according to their underage user policy.
Illegal content – Posting content related to criminal activities, violence/gore, illegal drugs, firearms, or dangerous organizations can warrant an instant permanent ban.
How TikTok Determines a Permanent Ban
TikTok uses a combination of content moderators, algorithms, and AI to determine if an account should be permanently banned from the platform. According to TikTok’s Community Guidelines, accounts may be permanently banned if they engage in a single severe violation or repeated violations within a 90-day period (source).
When content is flagged as a violation, it is reviewed by TikTok’s moderation team. Moderators will look at the context and severity of the violation to decide if it warrants a permanent ban. Repeated minor violations over a short period can also lead to a permanent ban.
In addition to human moderators, TikTok uses automated systems to detect policy violations. Machine learning algorithms analyze factors like audio, visuals, metadata, user reports and more to identify content that violates guidelines. Accounts that repeatedly post violating content detected by algorithms may be subject to permanent bans.
By leveraging both human and automated reviews, TikTok aims to consistently enforce its policies and remove accounts that threaten the safety and positivity of the community.
Appealing a Permanent Ban
If your TikTok account receives a permanent ban, your options to appeal the decision are limited. According to TikTok’s support site, you can submit a ban appeal form along with any evidence or context that could help your case (source). However, TikTok may not provide the specific reason your account was banned when submitting the appeal. The company states that “we can’t make guarantees about the outcomes of appeals” (source).
When submitting a ban appeal, focus on providing a polite and constructive explanation of why you believe the ban was a mistake. However, there is no guarantee the appeal will be successful, as TikTok maintains full discretion over these decisions. Many users report frustration over receiving permanent bans and not getting clear feedback from TikTok on the reason or the appeal decision (source). So appealing a permanent ban can be an uphill battle with TikTok.
Creating a New Account After Being Banned
If your TikTok account gets permanently banned, creating a new account is typically against TikTok’s terms of service. TikTok’s policy states that “creating multiple accounts or using another person’s account” after receiving a ban can result in the new account also being banned [1].
This is because TikTok has methods to detect banned users creating new accounts, often by linking accounts to the device or IP address that was associated with the original banned account. So even if you make a new account with a different email, phone number, etc., TikTok can still identify you by your device and IP address and ban the new account. Some users have reported that after their original account was banned, any new account created on the same device or IP address was almost instantly banned by TikTok [2].
Therefore, creating a new TikTok account after receiving a permanent ban is very difficult and unlikely to succeed. It goes against TikTok’s policies and can result in more account bans. The only potential way around this would be obtaining a new device and IP address, but even that is not guaranteed to work. The safest option is to not create a new TikTok account once permanently banned.
Maintaining Your TikTok Account in Good Standing
There are a few key ways to keep your TikTok account in good standing and avoid getting banned:
First, be sure to follow all of TikTok’s community guidelines. These cover important rules around minor safety, illegal activities, violent extremism, hateful behavior, adult nudity and sexual activities, and more. Reading through these guidelines carefully can help you avoid accidentally violating any rules that could get your account banned.
Second, don’t attempt to artificially inflate your follower count or engagement through improper means. Buying fake followers or likes is against TikTok’s rules. The platform has gotten very effective at detecting fake engagement, so any inauthentic activity could flag your account for review and suspension.
Third, help moderate the platform by reporting any rule-breaking content you see. You can easily report videos right within the app. Reporting harmful content helps TikTok identify policy violations.
Following these tips can help demonstrate you’re a responsible and authentic user. Maintaining your account in good standing reduces the risk of a ban and allows you to continue enjoying the platform.
Notable Examples of Banned TikTok Accounts
Some high-profile and controversial TikTok accounts have been permanently banned from the platform for violating community guidelines. This includes:
Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer who promoted misogynistic views. His account was banned in August 2022 for violating TikTok’s policies on dangerous individuals and organizations.
Greta Thunberg‘s account was briefly banned in October 2022 due to an issue with her date of birth. TikTok reinstated her account after verifying her age.
In 2020, TikTok banned multiple high-profile white nationalist and alt-right accounts, including Richard Spencer and Stefan Molyneux, for promoting hate speech.
The bans of prominent accounts have sometimes sparked public debate about TikTok’s moderation policies and whether bans are applied fairly. However, TikTok states bans are based on violations of clearly defined community guidelines.
The Impact of Losing a TikTok Account
Getting permanently banned on TikTok can have a significant impact for creators who have built up large followings and depend on the platform. Here are some of the main consequences of losing access to a TikTok account:
Lose followers/audience: A permanent ban means losing access to all of the followers and audience you’ve built up on TikTok. This can be devastating, especially if you had millions of followers. You’ll have to start rebuilding your audience from scratch on a new platform.
Lost creative outlet: For many creators, TikTok is their main platform for expressing themselves creatively through video. Losing this major outlet can be very frustrating.
Financial impact for influencers: TikTok influencers, who earn money through sponsorships, brand deals and the Creator Fund based on their audience, stand to lose a significant source of income if banned. Brand deals depend on being able to promote to a large TikTok following.
According to TikTok experts, “Getting banned can completely upend an influencer’s career” (https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/account-safety). Rebuilding that audience and lost revenue takes major effort.
Steps to Take if You’re Banned
If your TikTok account gets banned, there are a few steps you can take:
First, carefully review TikTok’s community guidelines to understand what content is prohibited. Reflect on whether any of your posts may have violated the rules. This can help you avoid similar missteps if you create a new account.
Next, submit an appeal if possible. As TikTok’s support site explains, you can log into your banned account and submit an appeal to potentially get your access restored (source). However, appeals are not always granted.
Finally, consider starting fresh with a brand new TikTok account. The appeal process doesn’t always work. If you want to continue using TikTok after being banned, creating a new account and being more mindful of the guidelines is often the only option.
The Future of TikTok Bans
TikTok is facing growing pressure from regulators over its content moderation policies and bans. The platform’s rules continue to evolve in an attempt to detect violations, although new technologies may be needed for more effective enforcement. However, proposed TikTok bans are cropping up across the US with bipartisan support, and President Biden has threatened a national ban as well.
According to The Technology Review, TikTok is accelerating development of content moderation technologies using automation and AI to detect banned content and activities. The company aims to respond rapidly at scale to take down inappropriate content and ban users that violate policies. TikTok is also facing pressure from US lawmakers and leaders to implement restrictions on data practices or face the possibility of a nationwide ban.
While the platform scrambles to enforce stronger protections, it remains unclear whether changing policies or ownership alone can address regulators’ core national security concerns around TikTok’s Chinese ownership. The future likelihood of a US ban on TikTok hinges on the company’s ability to satisfy lawmaker demands to restrict data access.
