What are spam accounts on TikTok?
Spam accounts on TikTok are accounts that repeatedly post unrelated or irrelevant videos or comments to promote products, services, or websites. These types of accounts usually have irrelevant or nonsensical usernames and little to no authentic content of their own.
According to a report by Fraud0, up to 97% of traffic on TikTok could be detected as automated bot requests https://www.fraud0.com/resources/tiktok-bots-fake-accounts-scam/. This means the vast majority of accounts and engagement on the platform are inauthentic and spammy in nature.
Spam accounts tend to indiscriminately follow, like, and comment on other users’ videos without relevance. Their goal is to drive traffic to external sites or profiles. Often the comments will include unrelated hashtags or mention commercial products and brands.
These fake accounts can be annoying at best and malicious at worst, if they are spreading scams, misinformation, or explicit content. Identifying and blocking spam accounts helps keep your TikTok experience authentic and secure.
Why you should block spam accounts on TikTok
There are several reasons why it’s important to block spam accounts on TikTok:
They clutter your feed with irrelevant content. Spam accounts often post repetitive and meaningless content just to boost their follower count or get clicks. This floods your For You page and makes it harder to find videos from creators you actually want to see (Pasiekaa, 2021).
They can spread scams, malware and misinformation. Fake accounts are sometimes used to promote fraudulent offers or share dangerous links that could harm your device. Blocking them protects you from potential risks (Sift Blog, 2016).
They artificially inflate follower counts. Spammers use fake accounts to follow each other and artificially boost their popularity. Blocking them helps ensure you only follow authentic accounts with real engagement (Moore, 2023).
Overall, taking action against spam accounts helps keep TikTok fun and safe. It ensures your feed stays relevant and protects you from harmful content.
How to identify spam accounts on TikTok
There are a few telltale signs that can help you identify spam or fake accounts on TikTok:
- Generic or unrelated usernames – Spammers often use random usernames like “user123” or “spamaccount” that have no relation to their content.
- Repetitive content – Spam accounts tend to repost the same types of videos or reuse content to quickly build their follower count.
- Lots of followers but low engagement – Accounts with an inflated number of followers but very few likes/comments on their videos can be a red flag for fake followers.
- Link spam in bio/comments – Spammers will often have links in their bio or post comments with suspicious links to try to direct traffic outside of TikTok.
Paying attention to these warning signs can help you determine if an account behaving suspiciously is a spammer or fake account. It’s a good idea to block or report any accounts that seem questionable to help keep your TikTok feed spam-free.
How to block accounts on TikTok
Blocking an account on TikTok is easy to do directly from the user’s profile. Simply tap the profile picture or username of the account you want to block. This will open up their profile page.
Next, tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the profile. Select the “Block” option from the menu that appears. You will get a confirmation prompt – tap “Block” again to confirm.
Per this guide, once an account is blocked, they can no longer see or interact with your profile, videos, or comments. You also won’t be notified about any of their activity.
Blocking is a straightforward way to prevent unwanted interactions from a specific account. It can help curate your TikTok experience and limit distractions from accounts posting spam or unwelcome content.
How to report spam accounts on TikTok
If you come across a TikTok account that appears to be spam, you can report it directly to TikTok to review. Here’s how to report a spam account on TikTok:
1. Navigate to the spam account’s profile page. Tap on the 3-dot menu in the upper right corner.
2. Select “Report” from the menu.
3. Choose a reason for reporting the account as spam. Relevant options include “Spam,” “Scam,” or “Fraud.”
4. Tap “Submit” to send the report to TikTok.
When you report an account as spam, TikTok will review the report and the account’s activity. If TikTok finds the account is spamming the platform, they may disable the account to prevent further abuse.
Reporting spam accounts is an important way you can help keep TikTok clean from abusive, fake, and malicious accounts. If we all report spam when we see it, TikTok can take action to remove it.
How to limit comments on TikTok
One way to help cut down on spam comments is to limit who can comment on your TikTok videos. You can restrict comments so only people you approve, your friends, or no one can comment.
To limit comments on a TikTok video:
- Tap the share icon on the video you want to limit comments on.
- Tap ‘Who can comment’ and choose an option like ‘Friends’, which restricts comments to only people you follow and who follow you back.
- This prevents random spam accounts from being able to comment on your content.
You can also turn off comments entirely on your videos in your TikTok settings. Restricting comments can help reduce unwanted spam on your videos.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-comments-on-off-manage
Using keywords and hashtags to avoid spam
TikTok’s algorithm analyzes and ranks the hashtags and keywords used in your captions and videos. Using overly competitive or unrelated hashtags can trigger the algorithm to label your content as spam and decrease its reach.
Rather than using generic and crowded hashtags like #fyp that attract spam accounts, research and target niche hashtags and keywords with smaller but more engaged audiences. There are tools to identify low competition, high-value hashtags like Hootsuite.
Focus on selecting hashtags and keywords directly relevant to your content to build trust with TikTok’s algorithm and avoid being flagged as spam. Including unrelated or overused tags you think might boost views can actually backfire and reduce your content’s visibility.
Keep your captions targeted and on-topic for each video. While using a wide variety of hashtags and keywords can extend reach, prioritize quality over quantity to ensure your content appears for searches by real users, not just spam accounts.
Making your account private
One of the most effective ways to reduce spam on TikTok is to make your account private. This restricts your content and inbox to followers only, limiting engagement and messages from unknown accounts. Here’s how to make your TikTok account private:
1. Open your TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
2. Tap “Edit Profile” at the top of your profile screen.
3. Toggle the switch for “Private Account” on. This will immediately restrict your content to followers only.
Making your account private reduces the chances of spam bots and unwanted accounts engaging with your content or messaging you. It gives you full control over who can see, comment on, or message you on TikTok. As experts recommend, keeping personal accounts private enhances security and protects your identity and reputation.
However, creators who want to grow a public audience on TikTok may still face spam even with a private account. Additional steps like blocking accounts, filtering comments, and using Creator Portal may be needed in tandem.
Using TikTok’s Creator Portal
TikTok’s Creator Portal provides analytics and tools to help identify and manage spam accounts and comments. The portal gives creators insight into audience and engagement metrics, letting you identify unusual spikes or drops that could indicate spam behavior. You can view detailed analytics on your posts, followers, and traffic sources.
The Creator Portal also has filtering tools in the Comments section. Here you can enter keywords to automatically hide comments containing those words or phrases. This makes it easy to filter out frequently used spammy phrases.
Other creator tools that can help combat spam include the ability to delete multiple comments at once and block multiple accounts or hashtags with one click. The Creator Portal is continually updated with new features aimed at giving creators more control.
Check out TikTok’s Creator Portal guide for more details: https://sports.yahoo.com/tiktok-adding-video-crediting-features-160013810.html
Staying vigilant against evolving spam tactics
Spammers constantly find new ways to bypass protections and reach users on platforms like TikTok. As TikTok and other companies crack down on spam, attackers evolve and adapt their methods.
Some common trends to watch out for include using more realistic looking fake accounts, exploiting trending sounds and hashtags, and commenting on videos with spammy links rather than directly messaging. Bots are also getting more sophisticated at mimicking real human behaviors to appear authentic.
It’s important to stay vigilant and keep reporting any new spam tactics you encounter on TikTok. You can report problematic accounts, comments, messages and more using the in-app reporting tools. TikTok relies on user reports to identify evolving spam and phishing techniques.
No matter what new tricks spammers try, the best practices remain the same. Keep blocking accounts that send you unwanted messages, use filters to limit interactions, make your account private and be selective with sharing personal information publicly. Staying cautious and alert will go a long way in protecting your TikTok experience.
