Getting banned from commenting on TikTok is an issue some users face, preventing them from engaging with content and participating in discussions. There are several main reasons a TikTok account may lose the ability to comment:
- Violating TikTok’s Community Guidelines through inappropriate, abusive, or spam comments
- Mass commenting or spamming on videos
- Ban evasion by creating a new account after receiving a comment ban
- Hitting TikTok’s limits on how many comments can be made in a certain timeframe
- Shadowbanning based on suspicious account activity
- Hackers taking over an account and violating policies
Losing commenting abilities can be frustrating but is usually meant to protect the TikTok community. This article will examine the reasons accounts get comment banned and how to prevent or appeal bans.
Violating Community Guidelines
One of the main reasons your TikTok account may be at risk of losing the ability to comment is if you have violated the platform’s Community Guidelines. TikTok has rules against hate speech, bullying, harassment, dangerous acts, illegal activities, regulated goods, and more. If you repeatedly violate these guidelines, TikTok may decide to ban you from commenting as a penalty.
For example, if you are found to be engaging in hate speech or harassment in your comments, TikTok may first issue a warning or temporary comment ban. But if you continue the behavior after the warning, TikTok is likely to impose a permanent comment ban to prevent further abuse. The same goes for other serious violations like bullying, threats of violence, or sharing dangerous or illegal content.
The goal of the comment ban is to curb the spread of harmful content and make TikTok a safer, more positive place for all users. So if you want to maintain your ability to actively participate through comments, it’s critical to follow the Community Guidelines. Repeated violations show a pattern of unacceptable behavior that TikTok seeks to stop through comment bans.
Spamming
Repeatedly posting unrelated or promotional content in comments can get your account flagged for spamming and lead to a comment ban. According to the Reddit thread, TikTok’s spam detection system may ban accounts that post comments perceived as spam, even if the comments seem legitimate to the user. Spam is generally defined as repetitive, unwanted commercial content. If you continually post unrelated links or promotional messages, TikTok’s algorithms may determine your behavior resembles spam bots.
The best practice is to ensure your comments relate to the video and contribute value for the creator and community. Avoid copy-pasting the same links or messages across multiple videos. While you may intend to be helpful, repeating similar content excessively can appear as spam behavior to TikTok. Moderating your own commenting habits can help avoid automated spam detections.
Inappropriate Comments
Posting offensive, explicit, or inappropriate comments is one of the fastest ways to get banned from commenting on TikTok. TikTok has strict policies against harassment, hate speech, bullying, and other abusive behaviors. If you make comments that violate the Community Guidelines, TikTok may impose a temporary or permanent ban on your ability to comment.
Some examples of inappropriate comments that could lead to a ban include using slurs, making threats, repeatedly tagging or mentioning someone in a harassing way, sexual harassment, revealing private information about others, and dangerous challenges or hoaxes. Even if you think you’re just joking around, overly offensive language and disturbing or harmful content are not tolerated on TikTok.
The ban may start out temporary, like 24 hours. But if you continue violating policies after the ban is lifted, TikTok will escalate to longer comment bans, and eventually a permanent suspension of your account’s commenting abilities. So it’s important to read the Community Guidelines and be respectful to avoid risking your account status.
Ban Evasion
Ban evasion refers to creating a new account after receiving a permanent ban on TikTok. This is explicitly prohibited under TikTok’s Community Guidelines, which state that “Creating alternate accounts to evade a ban can also lead to account suspension.”
If you try to evade a ban by creating a new account, TikTok utilizes advanced detection methods to identify evasion attempts. Factors they assess include device ID, IP address, WiFi network, location data, and more. Simply using a new email or phone number is often not enough to evade detection.
Once caught evading a ban, TikTok will likely apply harsher penalties, including suspending your new account and associating it with the banned account. This can lead to losing access permanently. It’s important not to try to circumvent their moderation efforts, as it will only further limit your ability to use TikTok going forward.
The best option if you believe you were banned incorrectly is to appeal the ban through the proper channels, providing any evidence that it was unwarranted. Repeatedly creating new accounts will only lead TikTok to view you as unwilling to follow their policies.
Sources:
https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/accounts-features?cgversion=2023
https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/content-violations-and-bans
Hitting Comment Limits
TikTok has implemented automated limits on how frequently an account can comment to cut down on spam. According to https://planly.com/tiktok-limits/, there is no definitive daily comment limit, but commenting too often in a short period may trigger these automated protections.
If you repeatedly hit the commenting limit, your account may be temporarily or permanently banned from commenting. This is because the system views excessive commenting as a sign of spam or bot activity. The ban could last anywhere from 24 hours to a permanent removal of your ability to comment.
To avoid commenting limits, try to space out your comments and don’t reply excessively on one video. You can check if you’ve been banned from commenting by trying to post on a video. If you receive an error that you can’t comment, your account has likely been limited.
The best way to get your commenting ability back is to curb your activity and wait for the automated ban period to expire. Repeated violations could lead TikTok to ban your account permanently.
Shadowbanning
Shadowbanning is when TikTok secretly bans your account from being able to comment without notifying you. When shadowbanned, your comments may still appear visible to you, but they are hidden from everyone else. According to MegaDigital, people who are shadowbanned often notice their posts are harder to find and get fewer likes and comments.
With a shadowban, your comments do not appear under videos. To others, it will look like you have not commented at all. As Influencer Marketing Hub explains, this is TikTok’s way of restricting your account visibility without you realizing it. You may be shadowbanned for violating community guidelines, spamming, or other problematic behavior. The goal is to limit your ability to interact without you knowing.
Shadowbanning creates the illusion that your comments are posting normally from your perspective. But in reality, all of your commenting abilities have been silently disabled. No one else can see or engage with your comments unless TikTok decides to reverse your shadowban status.
Hacked Accounts
One reason TikTok accounts may lose the ability to comment is if the account gets hacked and used to spam other users or violate TikTok’s community guidelines. According to Firewall Times, there have been several major data breaches and hacking incidents impacting TikTok user data over the years. If hackers gain access to a TikTok account, they may use it to spam other users with links or inappropriate comments. TikTok employs algorithms to detect spammy behavior and policy violations. If an account gets flagged for spam or abusive comments, TikTok may revoke the account’s ability to comment as a protective measure, even if the account owner was not responsible for the violations.
The account owner would then need to regain access to their account, strengthen their security settings, and appeal to TikTok to restore commenting abilities. TikTok states that it will restore features if it can confirm the account has been secured. However, the appeals process can be difficult, especially if the original account owner cannot definitively prove they have regained control of the account. Overall, hacked accounts used for nefarious purposes is one way innocent users can end up with commenting limits or bans.
Appealing a Ban
If your TikTok account has been banned from commenting, you can submit an appeal to get your commenting privileges reinstated. According to TikTok’s support article on underage appeals, you can file an appeal if you believe they made a mistake in banning you.
To appeal a comment ban:
- Go to the Appeals page in your TikTok account settings.
- Select “Appeal comment ban.”
- Provide details explaining why you believe your comment ban was a mistake.
- Submit your appeal.
TikTok reviews all appeals and aims to respond within 24 hours. However, it may take longer depending on the volume of appeals. According to TikTok’s support page on account suspensions, if your appeal is approved, the restrictions on your account will be lifted. If it is denied, your account will remain banned.
Some tips when submitting your appeal:
- Be honest and admit if you did violate a policy.
- Explain why you should get a second chance.
- Highlight how you will improve your behavior moving forward.
With a constructive appeal emphasizing your understanding of TikTok’s rules, you may be able to get your commenting reinstated.
Preventing Comment Bans
There are several ways you can use TikTok responsibly to avoid situations that commonly lead to comment bans:
- Avoid posting any violent, dangerous, or illegal content, as this will likely result in your account being banned.
- Never threaten or harass other users in your comments. Be respectful to others.
- Do not try to evade bans by creating multiple accounts. This will lead to all your accounts being banned.
- Avoid spamming the same comment repeatedly, as this may be flagged as spam.
- Make sure your comments don’t contain hate speech, nudity, dangerous challenges, or anything else prohibited in TikTok’s community guidelines.
If your account does get banned, be patient and submit an appeal through TikTok’s support process explaining your situation calmly and politely. Most first-time bans are temporary if you can show you will use the platform appropriately going forward.