With over 1 billion active users, TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. An estimated 34 million videos are uploaded to TikTok daily, showcasing a wide variety of content from dance trends to cooking tutorials and more [1]. With such an enormous amount of videos being posted each day, many users end up deleting some of their old videos over time.
This raises an important question – what happens when you delete a video on TikTok? Does it completely disappear from the platform? Or does it continue to exist in some form? In this article, we’ll explore what happens behind the scenes when a TikTok video gets deleted. We’ll look at whether deleted videos are fully removed from TikTok’s servers, if they can still be located, and the privacy implications involved.
How TikTok Deletes Videos
When a user deletes a video on TikTok, it removes the video from being publicly visible on the platform. To delete a video, users can tap the three-dot icon on a posted video and select “Delete” [1]. This will remove the video from the user’s profile and make it inaccessible to other users.
However, deleting a video on TikTok does not always immediately remove the video from TikTok’s servers. According to users, deleted videos may still be stored in TikTok’s database for some time before being permanently deleted. So the video is no longer public, but the content may linger on TikTok’s backend [2].
Deleted Videos Remain on TikTok Servers
Even after a video is deleted by a user, the video can still remain stored on TikTok’s servers. There have been several examples of people being able to find and view TikTok videos that were supposedly deleted:
One user reported being able to search and find their old deleted videos by looking up specific keywords and hashtags they used (Source). Other users have been able to find their deleted videos being reposted by other accounts without their permission.
TikTok likely keeps deleted videos stored for a certain time period in case they need to be referenced or recovered. However, this means deleted videos can potentially be viewed, downloaded, or reposted during this window of time before they are permanently deleted from TikTok’s servers.
In summary, once a video is deleted by a user, TikTok does not instantly and permanently erase it. The video can remain in TikTok’s system and servers until an unknown time when the company fully scrubbs and deletes all copies of the video.
When Deleted Videos Get Removed
When a video is deleted on TikTok, it is not immediately erased from TikTok’s servers. The video remains in TikTok’s system for a period of time before being permanently deleted. According to Reddit users, deleted videos may remain accessible on TikTok’s servers for up to 30 days after being removed from a profile [1].
There are a few scenarios that will cause TikTok to permanently delete a video sooner than 30 days after it is removed:
- If the video is reported and found to violate TikTok’s community guidelines, it will be deleted right away.
- If the video is under investigation for a Terms of Service violation, TikTok will hold it until the investigation is complete before deleting.
- If the video contains illegal content, TikTok is obligated to remove it fully from their servers.
So while deleted videos may hang around for a few weeks on TikTok’s back end, the platform will permanently erase content that breaks the rules or laws much faster.
Finding Deleted TikTok Videos
While deleted videos no longer appear on a user’s profile or in search results on TikTok, there are still ways for people to find and access deleted content. Users have discovered methods to locate videos that were removed from the platform.
One way people find deleted TikToks is by using third-party sites like Vista Social that archive and aggregate links to deleted videos. These platforms allow searching through databases of videos that were once public on TikTok before being deleted.
Additionally, hashtags like #deletedvideo and #deletedtiktok are used on the app to share and spread links to deleted content. People can search these hashtags or visit dedicated accounts that repost deleted TikTok videos they have saved or downloaded.
While TikTok removes the videos from their platform, copies and links to deleted videos continue to be findable through third-party sites, hashtags, and reuploads. This allows determined users to still access videos that were meant to be deleted and removed from public view on TikTok.
Privacy Implications
One of the biggest concerns around deleted TikTok videos is that they are not fully removed from TikTok’s servers, which raises privacy issues. As reported by Forbes, even if a user deletes a video from their TikTok account, that video can still be accessed and used by law enforcement if they request it from TikTok (1). This means private, personal, or revealing videos that users believed they deleted could potentially resurface and be used against them.
There have been examples of private or embarrassing videos being rediscovered on TikTok even after a user deletes them. As noted by some users, if a video gets enough views or shares before being deleted, it can continue circulating on “FYP restoration” accounts that repost videos (2). These deleted videos essentially live on beyond the original poster’s control. This highlights how once sensitive content is posted on TikTok, it’s very difficult to fully remove traces of it from the platform or elsewhere online.
Overall, the privacy risks posed by videos not being permanently erased raise concerns, especially for younger users who may not be fully aware of the implications before posting revealing or regrettable content.
How to Permanently Delete a Video
Even after deleting a video on TikTok, there are still ways it could be found or restored. Here are some tips for trying to ensure a video is fully removed from TikTok:
Report the video before deleting. This flags the video for TikTok to fully remove. Go to the video, tap the share icon, tap “Report,” and select a reason.[1]
Contact TikTok support. You can submit a request directly asking for a video to be permanently deleted. This gives them notice to fully scrub it from their systems.[2]
Remove hashtags and sounds. Deleting hashtags and sounds makes it harder to find the video through searches or recommendations. Edit the video to remove these before deleting.[3]
Avoid reposting a deleted video. Reposting allows TikTok to reuse the video. To prevent this, do not reupload any versions of a deleted video.
Wait before deleting. Give it a day or two for the video to fully propagate before deleting. This allows it to be fully scrubbed from TikTok’s systems.
TikTok’s Deleting Policies
TikTok has implemented various policies and procedures around deleting videos on their platform. According to their Community Guidelines, TikTok can remove videos that violate their policies, such as containing illegal or dangerous content. Users can also choose to delete their own videos at any time.
When a video is deleted by a user or removed by TikTok, it is no longer visible on the platform. However, as highlighted by Apps UK, deleted videos may remain on TikTok’s servers for an unspecified period of time before being permanently erased [1]. This has raised concerns among some critics about user privacy and content moderation.
In general, TikTok’s deletion policies aim to balance maintaining user trust and safety with enabling creative expression. However, controversies have emerged around unwanted videos being recommended, bullying, and inappropriate content moderation [2]. Many experts argue that TikTok needs more transparency into their content moderation processes to build user confidence.
While TikTok has announced efforts to strengthen protections for younger users, their deletion policies remain a work in progress. Striking the right balance between protecting privacy, promoting trust, and enabling creativity on such a massive platform is an ongoing challenge.
User Control Over Deleted Content
One of the main issues users face with deleted TikTok videos is the lack of control and transparency once a video is removed. Currently, when a video is deleted by a user or taken down by TikTok, it is permanently erased from the user’s profile and becomes inaccessible. There is no option to recover or view deleted videos, and users are not notified if TikTok deletes their content.
TikTok could improve user control by allowing an option to view and recover deleted videos for a period of time, such as 30 days. This would give users a chance to save important videos before they are permanently erased. TikTok should also provide more transparency by notifying users when a video is deleted, either by the user or by TikTok, and explain the reason for removal.
Another suggestion is to implement an archive option instead of permanent deletion. Users could opt to archive old or embarrassing videos instead of deleting them. Archived videos would not show on a user’s public profile but could still be accessed privately by the user if needed. This would allow users to clear their profiles of unwanted content without losing it forever.
Overall, TikTok should aim to give users more control, visibility, and options when handling deleted videos. Small changes like recovery periods, notifications, and archiving could greatly improve transparency.
Conclusion
In summary, videos that are deleted on TikTok are not immediately wiped from existence. They continue to be stored on TikTok’s servers for some time, though it’s unclear exactly how long. While deleted videos eventually get fully removed, they can potentially be accessed and reposted during this intermediary period.
This raises significant privacy implications, as users may believe deleted content is permanently erased when that is not the case. While TikTok likely keeps deleted videos to improve the user experience, more transparency around data retention policies could help assure users worried about old content resurfacing. There is limited user control over deleted videos lingering in TikTok’s system. To permanently delete videos, users must directly request video data erasure under GDPR rules.
In the end, TikTok users should be aware that any video they post may continue to exist in TikTok’s database after deletion. So utilize privacy settings cautiously and think twice before posting content meant to be temporarily available. For utmost privacy, consider not posting the video at all or immediately requesting its permanent removal.
