TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 1 billion monthly active users. However, many users suddenly find their accounts banned with no explanation. Getting banned can be frustrating, especially if you believe it was a mistake. There are several common reasons TikTok may ban an account, including breaking community guidelines, spam/bot activity, copyright violations, inappropriate content, or mass reporting.
In this article, we’ll explore the main reasons TikTok bans accounts, steps you can take to appeal if you think it was a wrongful ban, and tips to avoid getting banned in the first place. Understanding TikTok’s policies and how the platform enforces them can help ensure your account stays in good standing.
Breaking Community Guidelines
TikTok has an extensive set of community guidelines that prohibit certain types of content on the platform. Users must follow these guidelines or risk having their account or specific content removed. According to TikTok’s Community Guidelines, prohibited content includes:
– Violent or graphic content
– Hate speech and discrimination
– Harassment and bullying
– Harmful or dangerous acts
– Regulated goods
– Illegal activities and regulated goods
– Spam/bots
– Misinformation that may cause harm
If TikTok finds a user has violated these guidelines, it may remove the violating content and issue a warning or temporary ban. Repeated or severe violations can result in a permanent ban. Users are encouraged to read TikTok’s full Community Guidelines to understand what is and is not allowed on the platform.
Spam/Bot Activity
TikTok recommends avoiding spamming or using bots to artificially boost engagement, as this activity violates their community guidelines and can lead to a ban (https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en/accounts-features?cgversion=2023). Spamming behavior that TikTok monitors includes repeatedly posting the same content, flooding hashtags, mass liking or commenting, using multiple accounts to boost popularity, and artificially inflating video views. TikTok’s systems analyze account behavior to detect spam, so tactics like using bots or third-party services to boost metrics are likely to trigger a ban.
The main reason TikTok cracks down on spam is to maintain platform integrity and provide users with an authentic, high-quality experience. Spammy content drowns out more valuable videos and hampers community interaction. It also skews popularity metrics, allowing inauthentic accounts to gain inflated followings. By penalizing spam accounts, TikTok aims to cultivate a fair environment where creators succeed based on producing creative content that resonates with viewers.
Violating Copyright
One of the most common reasons for TikTok bans is using copyrighted material without permission. According to TikTok’s Repeat Infringer Policy, the platform will issue a strike to users if their content is removed for copyright infringement. There is a limit of 3 strikes, after which a user’s account will be banned (source).
Uploading videos with copyrighted music, images, or video clips without the proper licenses or permissions is considered copyright infringement. TikTok has deals with major record labels and content partners, but individual creators are still responsible for ensuring they have the rights to use any copyrighted material in their videos.
To avoid copyright bans, creators should use original audio, stick to library/royalty-free content, properly credit any copyrighted material used, and dispute any false copyright claims. Repeatedly re-uploading flagged content can also lead to strikes and bans.
Inappropriate Username
Using an inappropriate, offensive, or hateful username can result in your TikTok account being banned. TikTok’s Community Guidelines prohibit usernames that promote violence, attack, threaten, or incite harm based on protected attributes. Usernames containing slurs, hate speech, or vulgar language are strictly prohibited.
TikTok maintains a list of banned keywords that cannot be used in usernames. Some examples of inappropriate usernames that will likely prompt a ban include racial slurs, sexually explicit terms, threats, and profanity. Even creative attempts to circumvent banned words using special characters or misspellings could still be flagged by TikTok’s systems.
If your username violates TikTok’s policies, you may receive a notification prompting you to change it. Refusing to modify your inappropriate username could result in your account being permanently suspended. The best approach is choosing a username that does not include offensive, hateful, or obscene language. Unique, creative, and inoffensive usernames are recommended to avoid running into issues.
Underage Users
TikTok requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account. If TikTok determines an account belongs to someone under 13, the account will be banned as per the platform’s Community Guidelines. This is to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which prohibits online services from knowingly collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.
If you believe your account was incorrectly banned for being underage, you can appeal the ban through TikTok’s support options. Be prepared to provide proof of your age, such as a government ID. TikTok recommends waiting until you are at least 13 to create an account, but will consider appeals if an account was mistakenly banned.
Banned Hashtags
TikTok maintains a list of banned hashtags that are blocked from being searched or used on the platform. Posting content with these hashtags will often lead to account bans. According to A Complete List Of Banned Hashtags You Should Avoid, some commonly banned hashtags include #coronavirus, #sexy, and #XXX.
Using hashtags related to dangerous challenges, illegal activities, inappropriate content or sensitive events is prohibited. TikTok wants to prevent the spread of harmful misinformation, dangerous behavior and explicit material. Tagging posts with banned hashtags like #coronavirus or #WW3 could trigger automatic content removal and account suspension.
To avoid getting banned, check hashtags against regularly updated banned hashtag lists before posting. Sites like IQ Hashtags allow entering hashtags to scan for violations. It’s also wise to avoid fringe hashtags that might skirt too close to banned topics.
Mass Reporting
A TikTok account can be temporarily or permanently banned if it receives a high volume of user reports in a short period of time. This is known as mass reporting. Even if the reported content does not actually violate TikTok’s community guidelines, the sheer number of reports can trigger an automatic ban by TikTok’s systems (source).
Some users organize mass reporting campaigns by rallying their own followers or groups to report an account en masse. Sometimes this is done with malicious intent to get an account banned. Other times, users feel it is justified to mass report content they find harmful or offensive, even if it may not clearly violate the rules.
TikTok states that consequences from mass reporting are only temporary until the content can be reviewed by a moderator (source). However, repeated temporary bans from mass reporting can frustrate content creators and impact their distribution. There is also the risk of a permanent ban if mass reporting continues and the behavior is seen as abusive.
Shadowbanning
Shadowbanning occurs when TikTok begins restricting the reach of a user’s content without providing any notification that this is happening. A shadowbanned user may notice a significant drop in views, likes, and comments on their videos for no apparent reason. Their content fails to show up on hashtag landing pages or the “For You” feed of their followers.12
Shadowbanning is an attempt by TikTok to limit the visibility of accounts that may be spamming, violating guidelines, or posting inappropriate content. By restricting reach instead of outright banning, TikTok can evaluate if the behavior improves without fully removing the user’s presence.
However, shadowbanning can often catch legitimate users accidentally. Persistent shadowbanning is essentially a probationary period before an outright ban may occur. If a user’s behavior does not improve during the shadowban, TikTok may escalate the restrictions to a full account suspension or ban. This is why it’s important for users who suspect they’ve been shadowbanned to review their content and posting frequency to ensure they align with community guidelines.
1 https://later.com/blog/tiktok-shadowban/
2 https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-shadowban/
Appealing Bans
If you believe your TikTok account has been wrongfully banned, you can submit an appeal to have your account reinstated. Here are some tips for appealing a ban and getting your account back:
First, open the ban notification in the TikTok app and tap “Appeal.” This will take you to the appeals form. Thoroughly explain why you believe the ban was a mistake, providing any evidence that supports your case. Be polite and respectful in your appeal.
Make sure to include your username and any other identifying details about your account. Specify exactly why you don’t believe you violated any Community Guidelines. For example, if you were banned for spam but have never posted duplicate or repetitive content, point that out.
Per TikTok’s support site, it may take up to 30 days to receive a response on your appeal. Be patient. Persistently contacting TikTok about your appeal is unlikely to speed up the process.
If your appeal is rejected, you can submit another appeal explaining why you disagree with the decision and providing additional evidence supporting your case. However, continuing to submit multiple appeals for the same account may lead to them getting denied automatically.
As a last resort, you can attempt to create a new account and be cautious not to violate any guidelines. But be aware that creating multiple accounts to evade bans is against TikTok’s rules and may result in device bans.
