TikTok suspensions can be frustrating and confusing, especially when you feel like you did nothing wrong. Many users end up suspended without understanding why it happened or what to do next. The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the common causes of TikTok suspensions, explain the suspension and ban policies, outline the appeals process, and give recommendations to help users avoid and recover from suspensions.
Common Causes of Suspensions
TikTok suspends accounts for violating its community guidelines. Some of the main reasons accounts get suspended include:
- Posting prohibited content like nudity, pornography, or graphic violence
- Posting hateful content or threats
- Spamming or artificially inflating views, likes, comments, etc.
- Impersonating another person or brand
- Violating copyrights or trademarks
- Using multiple accounts or transferring accounts between users
- Misleading metadata like placing irrelevant hashtags or keywords
- Harming minors in any way
According to TikTok, accounts can also get suspended if they exhibit suspicious behavior like using bots, fake accounts, paid services to boost popularity, etc. So violations of community guidelines or terms of service are the most common reasons for suspensions.
Suspension vs. Ban
There is an important difference between a temporary suspension and a permanent ban on TikTok. A suspension is usually temporary, meaning your account is deactivated for a set period of time before being automatically reinstated. Common suspension durations are 1 day, 3 days, 1 week or 1 month. You will be notified if your account has been suspended, along with details on when your access will be restored.
In contrast, a permanent ban results in the total deletion of your TikTok account. According to TikTok’s community guidelines, bans can occur for severe or repeated violations of their terms of service. Examples include illegal content, dangerous acts or threats of violence, spam/scams, and hate speech. If you receive a permanent ban, you will not be able to reactivate your old account. The only option is to create a brand new account and be careful to avoid the violations that led to the original ban.
The main takeaway is that a suspension is temporary while a permanent ban results in the complete removal of your account. Checking the notification details is important to understand whether you are facing a short-term suspension or a permanent termination of your account.
Appealing Suspensions
If you believe your TikTok account was wrongly suspended, you can appeal the suspension directly through the app or website. According to TikTok’s help center, you can appeal a suspension by tapping “Submit an appeal” in the app and following the instructions provided (source). When submitting an appeal, be sure to provide as much context and detail as possible about why you believe the suspension was a mistake.
Some tips for appealing a wrongful suspension include:
- Explain clearly why you think it was a mistake, providing any evidence you have
- Be polite and constructive in your appeal
- If you believe your content did not actually violate any rules, point out how it aligns with the community guidelines
- Highlight your positive history as a content creator on the platform
According to TikTok’s ads policy page, you can also appeal a suspension via customer support or through the account info settings (source). Be persistent and patient in appealing, as it may take some time and effort to overturn a mistaken suspension. Keep trying different avenues of appeal if needed until your case is properly reviewed.
Preventing Suspensions
There are several steps you can take to avoid getting suspended on TikTok in the first place:
- Carefully review TikTok’s Community Guidelines and adhere to all policies around content, behavior, etc.
- Avoid posting any content that is sexually suggestive, violent, hateful, dangerous or illegal.
- Do not engage in bullying, harassment, impersonation, or fraud on the platform.
- Make your account private and be selective about who you allow to follower you.
- Do not buy followers or engage in coordinated inauthentic behavior.
- Report any inappropriate content you see to TikTok right away.
- Turn on all available privacy settings for your account.
- Be cautious about live streaming to limit exposure to violations.
- Respond to any messages from TikTok regarding guidelines or violations.
Following TikTok’s rules closely and avoiding risky behavior can help prevent your account from getting suspended in most cases.
Mistaken Suspensions
Sometimes TikTok may suspend an account by mistake. There are a few common reasons this can happen:
Algorithm errors: TikTok uses automated systems and algorithms to detect policy violations. But these systems are not perfect and can sometimes flag innocent accounts by accident, especially if the content is borderline.
Mass reporting: If enough people falsely report an account, TikTok’s systems may automatically suspend it before having a human review the reports. This is known as “mass reporting attacks” and is unfortunately common on the platform.
Mistaken identity: In rare cases, TikTok may intend to suspend one account but accidentally suspend the wrong one. This can happen if accounts get mixed up in their systems.
Bugs: Like any software, bugs in TikTok’s systems can also lead to mistaken suspensions. Technical glitches may cause errors in violation detection.
Limited review: With so much content, TikTok cannot manually review every report. Their priority is enforcing policies, so appeals from suspended accounts may not get much individual attention.
While mistaken suspensions are frustrating, being patient and communicating clearly with TikTok through the appeals process is key. Providing context and pointing out the error can help get your account reinstated.
Getting Past Suspensions
Getting past a TikTok suspension can be frustrating, but there are ways to move forward. If your appeal is rejected, you may need to accept the suspension and create a new account. When starting a new account after suspension, be sure to avoid the behavior that got your original account suspended in the first place.
Review TikTok’s community guidelines closely and make sure your new content follows all the rules. You may want to lay low at first, avoiding posting too much or using hashtags/sounds that were issues before. Build up your new account slowly with high-quality, policy-abiding content.
You can also reach out to TikTok support to see if there are any other options, but accounts are often permanently banned after multiple suspensions [1]. Ultimately, your best bet is moving on by building a new TikTok presence carefully within their rules.
Long-Term Impacts
Getting suspended on TikTok can have significant long-term impacts for creators. Even temporary suspensions can lead to substantial drops in views, followers, and engagement. According to research, a 7-day suspension results in a 50% drop in views and 10% drop in followers on average (The Consequences of a Suspended TikTok Account). These drops can be difficult to recover from, especially if you are building momentum as a new creator.
Repeated or permanent suspensions are even more damaging. A permanent ban means losing access to your account, content library, followers, and income from the TikTok Creator Fund or brand partnerships developed through TikTok. Rebuilding that audience and community on a new account takes substantial time and effort. You also lose authority and credibility as a creator.
The financial impacts of losing brand deals, live gifting revenue, and Creator Fund payouts can also be significant. By some estimates, top creators earn between $200,000-$500,000 per month from TikTok alone (How a TikTok Ban Would Impact Creators and Influencers). Getting suspended means losing out on this income, which many creators rely on to fund their work.
In summary, suspensions can have profound negative impacts for TikTok creators in terms of audience, credibility, community, and income. Minimizing your risk of suspension is crucial as a creator on the platform.
TikTok Account Security
Keeping your TikTok account secure is important to avoid getting hacked or suspended. Here are some tips from TikTok’s Privacy and Security page:
- Use a strong, unique password that is difficult for others to guess.
- Enable two-factor authentication for added security.
- Don’t share your login credentials with others.
- Log out of your account when using shared or public devices.
- Be cautious of phishing emails or links asking you to login.
- Monitor logged in devices and remove any unknown sessions.
- Use antivirus software and keep apps updated.
You can manage your account security settings by going to “Privacy and Safety” in your profile. Regularly check your logged devices and restrict account access to maintain control. Being proactive about security makes it much less likely your account will be compromised.
Conclusion
In summary, there are many potential reasons why a TikTok account may get suspended, even if you feel it was unjustified. Some of the most common causes are violations of community guidelines, spammy behavior, or automated algorithmic suspensions. While suspensions can be frustrating, especially if you feel targeted unfairly, there are ways to appeal the decision and get your account back in good standing.
The appeal process may take some time and effort, but it’s important to be patient and provide as much helpful context to TikTok as possible. Frame your appeal diplomatically, emphasizing how you plan to improve your content going forward. If the appeal is rejected but you still believe the suspension was in error, you may want to reach out to TikTok support directly to press your case.
With some perseverance, most wrongful suspensions can be overturned. But take proactive steps as well – secure your account, avoid risky behaviors that violate policies, and keep producing creative content your audience will love. If you encounter issues again down the road, don’t hesitate to appeal. With persistence and optimism, you can get past the suspension and continue thriving on TikTok.
