Why was my TikTok account banned? How to get unbanned from platform revealed

TikTok was released in 2018 after a company called ByteDance acquired the previous version of the app. The video-sharing platform has managed to rack up millions of users in the last four years and even defeated Instagram to become the most downloaded app of 2021.

Billions of videos have been uploaded to the app by its humongous community. However, with the size of its community, it is natural for videos with false information, graphically triggering content or other unsafe visuals to land on it.

To safeguard its users from such content, the app and its makers have employed bots and other methods to seek out offensive videos and accounts. These videos are automatically taken down and occasionally result in permanent bans. Due to the nature of the bots, sometimes innocent users are banned on the app too.

This article will provide a few helpful methods to reinstate wrongfully banned accounts. However, the final decision is always based on the app's authority's decision.

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Why TikTok can ban an account

TikTok has a detailed set of rules about the kind of content that violates its terms. Videos containing misleading information, harassment, bullying, hate speech, illegal activities, fraud, animal cruelty, graphic content, minor safety, NSFW content, intellectual property infringement, and otherwise dangerous acts are not allowed on the app.

Videos containing such visuals are flagged by the app and often removed from the platform.

Videos reported by numerous users are also sometimes removed by the app.

Repeat offenders are often given a temporary ban, where they are banned from uploading content for a certain time period. These temporary bans are regarded as warnings for creators to stop breaking the app's community guidelines.

However, sometimes the app might permanently ban someone without giving any warning. Permanent bans are made to keep the platform safe from harmful content, but sometimes the app can make an incorrect judgment and ban someone innocent.

Users with inactive accounts and small followings might not care about such a ban. However, that's not the case for people who create content on a daily basis and have a significant number of followers.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to get your account back after it has been permanently banned on the app.

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How to deal with different kinds of bans on the video sharing app?

For soft or temporary bans, users can simply wait out their ban time and avoid uploading controversial content.

Temporary bans allow users to view, comment, like and privately share other people's content. It usually lasts from 24 to 72 hours but can sometimes last longer. Temporarily banned users will need to wait for the specified time period to be able to post again.

Sadly, this is not the case with permanent bans. Permanently banned users are locked out of their accounts. They are given a pop-up notice every time they try to log-in to their account. The notice reads:

"If you believe this is a mistake, you can submit an appeal."

Users who feel their account has been wrongfully banned can choose to select the "Appeal" option and follow the instructions to apply for a re-evaluation.

Messaege displayed on the app (Image via TikTok)

Additionally, people can also send their issues to one of these email IDs:

1. [email protected]
2. [email protected]
3. [email protected]
4. [email protected]

Users can also reach out to app officials through other social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. They can even ask their followers to tag the app's account on those platforms to amplify their request.

However, users need to remember that the final decision regarding an account is always on TikTok and its security team.