Having a TikTok account banned can be extremely frustrating, especially if you’ve built up a large following or rely on the platform for something like business promotion. According to TikTok, accounts may be permanently banned if serious violations of the platform’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service are identified (TikTok Help Center). Reasons for a permanent ban can include things like hate speech, illegal activities, dangerous challenges, nudity, and more.
If your account has been banned, you have likely lost access to your videos, followers, messages, and other data associated with the account. Getting your account back is difficult but may be possible by appealing the ban and providing valid reasons why you should regain access. This article provides an overview of steps you can try to get an accidentally or unfairly banned TikTok account reinstated.
Reasons for Banning
TikTok bans accounts for a variety of reasons, most commonly for violations of their community guidelines and terms of service. Some of the main reasons TikTok may ban an account include:
Copyright violations – Posting content that infringes on someone else’s intellectual property rights, such as reposting videos or music without permission. As per a Medium article, even posting short clips of copyrighted content can lead to a ban.
Inappropriate content – TikTok has strict policies against posting any sexually explicit content, harassment, violence, illegal activities, and hate speech. Sharing inappropriate content often results in immediate banning according to DonotPay.
Fake accounts – Creating multiple accounts under false identities or bots can get all associated accounts banned. TikTok aims to maintain authenticity on their platform.
Harmful challenges or acts – Participating in or promoting dangerous challenges and illegal activities will also lead to bans. TikTok wants to discourage harmful behavior.
Spam-like behavior – Actions like repeatedly posting the same comment or flooding hashtags can be seen as spam and get accounts suspended.
Underage users – TikTok requires users to be at least 13 years old. Using the platform when underage is grounds for banning.
Appeal the Ban
If your TikTok account gets banned, the first step is to appeal the ban directly through the TikTok app. Open the TikTok app and you should see a notification about your banned account. Tap on ‘Appeal’ to start the process.
TikTok will ask you to confirm your identity by entering your phone number or email associated with the account. This allows them to pull up your account information for review. After entering your information, you’ll be prompted to explain why you think your account was wrongly banned. Be as detailed as possible here in explaining the situation [1]. Provide any context around why you believe your account should not have been banned.
Once you submit the appeal, you’ll need to wait for TikTok to review it. The review process can take anywhere from 24 hours to a few weeks. Check back regularly on the status of your appeal. If it was successful, you should regain access to your account. If not, you may need to repeat the appeals process or create a new account.
Provide Identification
If your TikTok account was banned, one way to get it back is by verifying your identity with TikTok. This proves to TikTok that you are the legitimate owner of the account. According to TikTok’s support page, if your account was banned, you may see a verification prompt on your screen to confirm your identity (source).
To complete the identity verification, you will need to provide information like your phone number, email address, photo of your government ID, and potentially a video selfie. TikTok will review your information and match it against the details associated with your account. If you are successfully verified as the account owner, TikTok may reinstate your account.
It’s important to provide accurate and valid information when asked for verification. Make sure your ID photo and video selfie clearly show your face. Use the same phone number and email you originally signed up with. Going through this process properly can help prove you are the legitimate account owner and get your banned TikTok account reinstated.
Explain the Situation
When submitting an appeal, it is critical to provide a clear and detailed explanation of why you believe your account was banned incorrectly. Be honest and take accountability for any mistakes, but emphasize that you have learned from the experience and want a second chance. Explain how the banned content does not actually violate TikTok’s terms, or that it was a misunderstanding or accidental post. Provide additional context around the situation that led to the violation.
For example, you could say “The video in question was meant to be a skit/joke and not intended to promote dangerous or illegal behavior in any way. I now realize it could be misinterpreted and am sorry for any offense caused.” Give specific reasons why you should regain access to your account, such as having a long positive history or relying on it for income.
According to TikTok’s Account Safety guidelines, if you believe your account was banned incorrectly, explain the situation when submitting an appeal so their team can review the context. Providing a thoughtful justification can help demonstrate your intent was not malicious and potentially overturn an incorrect ban.
Wait for Review
After submitting an appeal, you will need to wait for TikTok’s review team to evaluate your appeal and make a decision. The timeline for ban reviews can vary:
For regular content violations, TikTok aims to review appeals within 24 hours. However, it may take 1-3 days in some cases depending on appeal volume.
For permanent bans, the review process usually takes 1-2 weeks as outlined here. Permanent ban appeals require more in-depth investigation, so expect to wait 7-14 days before receiving a response.
Appeals for underage account bans take longer – around 4 weeks according to TikTok’s policy. This extended review allows for age verification checks.
The best thing to do is be patient as TikTok reviewers do their work. Avoid constantly contacting TikTok support during this time, as it will not speed up the process. Simply wait for an email notification that your appeal has been reviewed.
Create a New Account
If your appeal to get your banned TikTok account back is rejected, creating a brand new account may be your only option. However, be aware that TikTok’s systems are designed to detect banned users creating new accounts, so you’ll need to take precautions.
First, use a different device than the one your banned account was on. TikTok may track device identifiers, so switching to a new phone, tablet, or computer makes it harder to link the new account back to you. Also make sure to clear cookies and data from the browser or TikTok app. According to Megadigital, using a VPN or proxy when creating the account adds another layer of protection.
When setting up the new profile, avoid reusing the same username, bio info, profile photo, or other identifying details from your previous account. The more unique the new account is, the better chance it has of avoiding detection. Some users recommend waiting a period of time, like a month, before creating the new account, to allow TikTok’s systems to “forget” the banned account.
Most importantly, learn from your mistakes and avoid the behavior that got you banned in the first place when using your new account. Repeated violations could lead to all of your accounts being banned, with little recourse for getting back on TikTok.
Learn from Mistakes
If your account gets banned, it’s important to take time to understand why it happened. Review TikTok’s community guidelines to gain clarity on what types of content and behavior could result in a ban.
Some common reasons accounts get banned include posting illegal, dangerous or sexually explicit content, hate speech, harassment, revealing private information about others, buying fake views or followers, and repeatedly posting spam.
To avoid future bans, make sure you fully understand and comply with TikTok’s community guidelines. Avoid posting content in gray areas that could be seen as violating policies. If you received an email or notification explaining the ban, read it carefully to understand the exact violations.
It can also help to make your account private and be more selective about who you interact with. Proactively block or delete abusive comments to stop policy violations. And don’t buy views, followers or likes from third-party providers, as this will likely lead to banning.
Learning from past mistakes will help you create original, high-quality content that provides value for others while staying within TikTok’s rules. This knowledge can prevent losing your account and community in the future.
Use Another Platform
If your TikTok account gets banned and you are unable to successfully appeal the decision, using another platform is an option. Many TikTok creators have built large followings on other platforms like YouTube and Instagram that they can leverage. YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels allow for short form video content similar to TikTok.
YouTube Shorts rolled out in 2020 as a competitor to TikTok, allowing videos up to 60 seconds long. Many popular TikTok creators already have YouTube channels they can utilize. Instagram Reels also allows short videos up to 60 seconds and can leverage an existing Instagram following. While the features and algorithms may differ from TikTok, both YouTube and Instagram provide established platforms to potentially rebuild a following.
Switching platforms takes effort to rebuild an audience. But for creators restricted from TikTok, leveraging YouTube, Instagram and other apps provide alternatives to continue creating short form video content.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if your TikTok account gets banned, you have a few options. The best course of action is to appeal the ban and provide TikTok with your personal identification and a detailed explanation of why you believe the ban was a mistake. Be polite and reasonable in your appeal. TikTok support will review your appeal and decide whether to reinstate your account.
If the appeal is denied, you can try creating a new account, but be careful not to repeat whatever behavior led to the initial ban. Read TikTok’s community guidelines closely and follow them going forward. You may also want to consider using a different social media platform if TikTok isn’t working out for you.
Getting banned can be frustrating, but try to learn from the experience. Figure out what went wrong so you can avoid similar issues in the future. With some patience and understanding, you may eventually be able to get your TikTok account reinstated or find success building a following elsewhere.
