What is Account Standing on TikTok?
TikTok uses an account standing system to evaluate the overall status and reputation of accounts on the platform. Your account standing indicates whether your account is in good standing or potentially at risk of restrictions or penalties based on violations of TikTok’s community guidelines.
According to TikTok’s Community Guidelines, an account’s standing can be affected by factors like multiple community guideline violations, account suspensions, penalties for violating policies, and more. Actions that violate TikTok’s rules around dangerous acts, illegal activities, violent extremism, hate speech, harassment, and more can negatively impact your account standing.
Accounts in good standing have a clean history with no major violations. At risk accounts may have active restrictions, penalties, or be at risk of suspension based on their history of violations on TikTok.
Regularly checking your TikTok account standing allows you to monitor your reputation on the platform. You can take proactive steps to improve a poor standing or maintain a good standing by following all of TikTok’s policies and guidelines.
Why Check Your TikTok Account Standing?
It’s important to regularly check your TikTok account standing to understand your account’s current status and privileges. Your account standing indicates whether your account is in good standing or at risk of restrictions due to violations of TikTok’s Community Guidelines.
Checking your standing allows you to identify potential issues or restrictions on your account. For example, accounts at risk may have limitations placed on posting, commenting, live streaming and other features. Understanding your standing helps you address any policy violations and appeal restrictions if needed.
Monitoring your standing can also help prevent your account from receiving more severe penalties like permanent suspension. Being aware of any active restrictions or previous violations gives you the chance to promptly correct any problematic behaviors.
Overall, routinely viewing your TikTok account status keeps you informed so you can maintain your account privileges and avoid future limitations.
How to View Your TikTok Account Standing
Checking your account standing on TikTok is easy and can be done either in the mobile app or on the TikTok website. Here is a step-by-step guide to view your account status:
- Open the TikTok app on your phone and go to your profile page.
- Tap on the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner of your profile.
- Select “Account” from the menu.
- On the Account page, you will see an “Account Status” section. This will show whether your account is in Good Standing or At Risk.
You can also check your standing on TikTok’s website:
- Go to TikTok.com and log into your account.
- Click on your profile picture in the top right and select “Manage account” from the drop down menu.
- On the left sidebar menu, click on “Account details”.
- Under the “Account information” section you will see your Account Status.
The account status displayed in the app or website will indicate whether your account is in good standing or potentially at risk of restrictions or penalties.
Good Standing vs At Risk Accounts
TikTok accounts are categorized as either in “Good Standing” or “At Risk” based on their history of following community guidelines and Terms of Service. Accounts in good standing have full access to TikTok features and privileges, while at risk accounts face increasing restrictions.
Accounts in good standing have no restrictions and can fully participate on TikTok by posting videos, going live, commenting, using ads, and more. These accounts have no violations on record and are in compliance with all policies.
At risk accounts have violated community guidelines or terms of service to some degree. These violations put the account at risk of future bans or permanent suspension. At risk accounts face progressive restrictions such as:
- Limited visibility for videos and live streams
- Restricted ability to promote through ads or algorithms
- Disabled comments
- Suspension from posting new videos or going live
The level of restrictions depends on the number and severity of violations. TikTok aims to educate users and give them opportunities to improve behavior before resorting to permanent bans. Checking account standing regularly allows users to monitor their status and take corrective actions as needed.
Sources:
https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/content-violations-and-bans
Improving a Poor Account Standing
If your TikTok account is considered “at risk” or has other issues with account standing, there are steps you can take to try and improve it back to good standing:
Appeal Content Violations – If your account received a violation, you can submit an appeal through the app. Go to your profile, tap the three dots, choose “Report a problem” and follow the prompts to submit an appeal. Provide details on why the violation was unwarranted (TikTok).
Avoid Further Violations – Be extremely careful about posting any content that could be construed as violating TikTok’s community guidelines. Stick to original, creative videos that do not include prohibited material.
Watch Your Engagement – Having low engagement or views can negatively impact your account standing. Try to post more consistently and use relevant hashtags to get your content seen.
Verify Your Account – TikTok accounts with a blue verification badge tend to be in better standing. You can apply for verification through the settings menu if you meet the requirements.
Request Account Review – If efforts to improve your standing fail, you can request TikTok manually review your account status and reconsider reinstating your good standing.
Maintaining a Good Account Standing
To keep your TikTok account in good standing, it’s essential to follow the platform’s community guidelines and terms of service. Here are some best practices to maintain a positive account status:
– Post original content that does not violate copyright or trademark laws. Getting repeat copyright claims against your account can quickly downgrade your status (https://www.reddit.com/r/Tiktokhelp/comments/r4yziq/is_it_possible_to_get_my_account_back_in_good/).
– Avoid posting content that is sexually explicit, violent, hateful or harassing. This type of content is strictly prohibited and can lead to immediate account suspension.
– Be respectful in your interactions with other users. Don’t spam, bully or threaten others on the platform.
– Abide by all community guidelines when live streaming. Do not live stream inappropriate or dangerous behavior.
– Do not artificially inflate your followers, likes or views using bots, fake accounts or other prohibited 3rd party apps. This activity is easily detected and penalized.
– Respond cooperatively if you receive a warning or your content is removed for any reason. Arguing or getting hostile with moderators will only further hurt your standing.
Following TikTok’s rules and posting high quality, original content will help maintain your account’s good standing over the long-term. Avoid short-term growth hacks or risky behavior that could jeopardize your account. A little patience and playing by the rules goes a long way.
Common Violations That Hurt Standing
There are many types of violations that can negatively impact your TikTok account standing. Some major categories of violations include:
- Spam and scams – This includes repeatedly posting similar or identical comments, misleading content, phishing attempts, etc. (Account Standing page).
- Dangerous acts or content – Posting videos that promote or depict dangerous or illegal activities, violence, self-harm, or reckless behavior (Content violations and bans | TikTok Help Center).
- Nudity and sexual content – Videos containing nudity, sexual acts or fetishes, or suggestive content that violates TikTok’s guidelines.
- Hate speech and harassment – Using language or symbols to attack or threaten people based on protected attributes.
- Regulated goods – Promoting or selling regulated goods like firearms, tobacco, or pharmaceuticals.
The severity level of a violation determines how much it impacts your overall account standing. For example, a single minor violation like spam may result in a warning, while multiple violations or a major infraction like dangerous acts could lead to suspension or banning (Content violations and bans | TikTok Help Center).
Appealing Violations to Regain Good Standing
If your TikTok account receives a violation that results in losing your good standing, you can submit an appeal to request your account status be reinstated. According to TikTok’s support article, you can appeal a violation by:
- Going to your profile page
- Tapping the three dots icon in the top right corner
- Selecting “Report a problem”
- Choosing the violation you want to appeal
- Tapping “Appeal” at the top of the screen
You can also submit an appeal after giving feedback on why you disagree with TikTok’s decision to violate your account. When crafting your appeal, focus on providing a clear, detailed explanation of why you believe the violation was unwarranted. Highlight how your content did not actually violate any community guidelines. If needed, you can point to other similar content that has not been taken down. Politely request your account status be reinstated and promise to carefully follow all guidelines moving forward.
Submitting thoughtful, well-reasoned appeals focused on how you did not break any rules is key for successfully overturning a violation. Rude or vague appeals are less likely to work. You may need to wait 24-48 hours for a response on your appeal. If it is rejected, you can continue re-submitting appeals while modifying your arguments.
Alternative Options if Appeal Fails
Unfortunately, there are limited options if your appeal is rejected and your TikTok account remains banned:
You can try contacting TikTok support again to explain your situation, provide additional context, and request they reconsider your appeal. However, there is no guarantee they will overturn the ban.
Another option is to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) detailing how you believe TikTok wrongly banned your account. The BBB can help mediate disputes between consumers and businesses.
If you rely on TikTok for your livelihood, you may want to consult a lawyer to review your legal options. However, litigation can be expensive with no guarantee of success.
The easiest solution may be to create a new TikTok account and start rebuilding your following. Just be sure to carefully follow the community guidelines to avoid another ban.
As frustrating as an unfair ban can be, TikTok is a private platform with full discretion over which accounts to allow. Once your appeals are exhausted, creating a fresh account may be the only productive path forward.
Key Takeaways
Maintaining a good account standing on TikTok is important to access all features and avoid restrictions. Regularly check your standing under account settings and aim to quickly resolve any policy violations. Violations like spam, dangerous acts, nudity, harassment, and hate speech can hurt your standing. But appeals and behavior changes may improve a poor standing over time. In summary:
- Check your standing under account settings to know if you’re in good standing or at risk.
- Avoid common violations like spam, inappropriate content, and policy breaches.
- Appealing violations can help regain access if restrictions applied.
- Make active changes to comply with all policies long-term.
For more help with improving account standing, visit TikTok’s support page on maintaining a positive community.