A private account on TikTok allows the user to control who can see and interact with their content. When an account is set to private, only approved followers can view that user’s videos, likes, and comments. Users may want to have a private account for various reasons including:
Privacy – Keeping videos, likes, and interactions private from strangers or those they don’t want viewing that content.
Safety – Preventing unwanted attention or harassment from strangers on the platform.
Selective audience – Choosing to share videos with a specific group of followers instead of being fully public.
Family-friendly content – Parents often make their child’s account private to filter comments and limit the audience.
Business brand – Businesses may want to approve followers to cultivate their target audience.
Overall, a private account gives the user more control over their TikTok presence and who engages with their content.
TikTok Defaults New Accounts to Private
In January 2021, TikTok updated its default privacy settings so that all new accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 are now automatically set to private (Digital Information World). This means only someone the account owner approves can view their content. TikTok enacted this policy to better protect younger users and give them more control over their online privacy and safety.
By defaulting underage accounts to private, TikTok aims to prevent unwanted contact or attention. Users under 16 must manually change their settings to public if they want to opt out of the private default. Parents are also encouraged to guide their children in making informed decisions about their privacy settings. Overall, TikTok’s updated policy indicates a commitment to empowering younger users with more tools to manage their digital wellbeing.
Violating Community Guidelines
One common reason why TikTok might make your account private is if you violated their community guidelines. TikTok has rules against content depicting nudity, illegal activities, harassment, spam, and more. Accounts that repeatedly violate these guidelines may have their account switched to private mode by TikTok as a warning or punishment.
According to TikTok’s support page, “If we find that you have repeatedly violated our guidelines, we may make your account private as a warning. This restricts your account’s visibility to you only.” Making an account private limits its reach and is meant to stop the spread of inappropriate content.
To fix a private account due to community guidelines violations, you must delete any offending content and appeal the violation through TikTok’s reporting form. However, repeat violations can result in permanent suspension. It’s important to carefully review TikTok’s rules and avoid posting problematic content that goes against their guidelines.
For more information, see the TikTok support page on community guideline violations: TikTok Community Guidelines violation
Inactive Account
According to TikTok’s support page, TikTok’s Inactive Account Policy, accounts that have not been used to access TikTok for at least 180 days are considered inactive by the platform. While inactive status is not visible to other users, TikTok may automatically switch inactive accounts to private as a security measure.
When an account has had no activity for an extended period, there is a chance it could be compromised or used for spam/abuse. By making inactive accounts private, TikTok aims to prevent misuse until the owner returns to use it again. This change usually happens after 6 months or more of inactivity.
Therefore, if you have not accessed your TikTok account for half a year or longer, you may find it was switched to private without your knowledge. Simply logging in and using your account again should restore your previous privacy settings.
Shadowban
A shadowban is one reason why TikTok may make your account private. Shadowbanning is when TikTok restricts a user’s reach and discoverability due to suspicious activity, as a way to limit spam and inappropriate content on the platform (influencermarketinghub.com). Accounts that are shadowbanned have their videos shown only to their existing followers, limiting their ability to reach new viewers.
There are a few main reasons an account may get shadowbanned on TikTok: violating community guidelines, using prohibited hashtags, having content flagged for copyright infringement, or behaving suspiciously to game the algorithm (socialchamp.io). TikTok does not directly notify users if they have been shadowbanned, so it may appear your account was suddenly made private without explanation. Checking if your views and growth seem limited despite normal posting can be signs of a possible shadowban to troubleshoot.
Blocked Hashtags
One reason TikTok may make an account private is if the user has been using hashtags that are blocked or banned by TikTok. TikTok maintains a list of prohibited hashtags that are blocked from the platform due to inappropriate or dangerous content associations (source). Using these banned hashtags repeatedly can trigger TikTok’s algorithms and lead to an account being automatically set to private.
Some examples of commonly blocked hashtags on TikTok include #anorexia, #bulimiarecovery, #dea, #sex, and #suicide (source). These types of hashtags violate TikTok’s community guidelines and are blocked to prevent the spread of harmful or dangerous content. If a user tries to use these banned hashtags, their videos or posts will not show up in any feeds.
Continued use of prohibited hashtags can result in TikTok assuming the account is posting inappropriate content frequently. As a protective measure, TikTok may automatically make the account private to limit its visibility and minimize policy violations. Checking for and avoiding blocked hashtags can help users keep their accounts public and in good standing.
Copyright Violations
Posting copyrighted content without permission can lead to TikTok making your account private. TikTok has a strict copyright policy to protect intellectual property rights. If your content gets flagged for copyright infringement, TikTok may give your account a copyright strike. Accounts can receive up to 3 strikes before facing suspension or termination.
If you get multiple copyright strikes, TikTok will make your account private to limit access to the infringing content while reviewing the situation. Having a private account also prevents you from posting additional infringing material during the review. Once the strikes expire or the copyright claims get resolved, TikTok may revert your account back to public.
To avoid copyright violations, only post original content you created or have explicit permission to use. If you want to contest a copyright strike, you can submit a counter notification explaining why you believe your content qualifies as fair use.
Underage User
TikTok has strict policies regarding underage users on the platform. If TikTok suspects that the account owner is under 13 years old, which is TikTok’s minimum age requirement, the account will automatically be made private. This is done to protect the safety and privacy of young users.
According to TikTok’s privacy policy, accounts belonging to users under age 18 are set to private by default. In addition, TikTok announced in January 2021 that they would change the default privacy setting to private for all registered accounts ages 13-15 [1]. The company has emphasized its commitment to minor safety, stating “We want to encourage younger teens to make informed decisions about what they share online”
So if your TikTok account was suddenly made private without your doing, it may be because TikTok believes you to be under 13 based on your online activity and behavior. Trying to circumvent age restrictions by providing a false older age will result in the account being banned.
User Choice
One of the most common reasons a TikTok account may become private is that the user chose to make it private themselves. In TikTok’s settings, users have the option to make their account private at any time. When an account is set to private, only approved followers can view the account’s videos.
There are many reasons users may want to make their accounts private. Some users, especially younger teenagers, may want to only share videos with their friends and not make the content public. Other users may want to cultivate a more exclusive follower base and carefully control who can access their videos.
Making an account private also gives users more control over unwanted comments or interactions. With a private account, users can approve or deny each follow request rather than letting anyone view and engage with their content.
So if you notice your TikTok account has suddenly become private, it’s possible you or someone with access to your account changed the privacy settings. Check your account’s settings to see if the private account status was set manually.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several key reasons why TikTok may make an account private:
– TikTok defaults new accounts to private as a safety measure, especially for younger users. Users can easily change the setting to public if they prefer. (TikTok Newsroom)
– Accounts may be automatically set to private if they violate TikTok’s community guidelines around things like hate speech, harassment, dangerous challenges, etc. This is to limit the spread of potentially harmful content. (TikTok Safety Center)
– Long periods of account inactivity can also trigger a private status. This is to protect dormant accounts.
– TikTok may impose a shadowban, making an account private, if it exhibits suspicious behavior like mass following/unfollowing or using blocked hashtags. This is to curb spam and abuse.
– Accounts face private status if they receive copyright violations for unlicensed material. This stops further unauthorized sharing.
– Underage users under 13 get set to private by default due to COPPA regulations.
– Users can choose to make their own account private for any personal reason, like increased privacy and exclusivity.
In most cases, users can appeal private status changes or toggle their settings back to public if desired. But private accounts on TikTok serve an important role in community moderation and user safety.
