Can You Have Your TikTok Account Unsuspended?

Some users deliberately violate TikTok’s terms and conditions or Community Standards. They may have joined the social media platform specifically to harass or spam people, steal people’s content and reuse it — or just to be a jackass.

Most TikTok users try to play by the rules, though. If they happen to violate the app’s terms, it’s usually by mistake. Those folks are unlikely to be aware that their TikTok videos dealt with off-limits subjects, and their mistakes were probably minor ones. They might receive a warning, or possibly a shadowban that reduces exposure of their TikTok posts for a week or two.

However, having your account suspended means you’re believed to have done something seriously wrong. It’s possible to appeal the decision and have your account unsuspended, but you’ve got to take action quickly if you want the action reversed.

Here’s the background and the gameplan.

Why Would a TikTok Account Be Penalized or Suspended?

Minor TikTok infractions can be inadvertent mistakes like posting too often (which could be seen as spammy), uploading anything the platform considers to be “adult” content, creating content that’s socially divisive (and against TikTok’s standards), or using banned hashtags. 

In most of those cases, the platform will remove the offending content, notify you that you’ve broken the rules, and add “strikes” to your account. Strikes expire after 90 days, but they may be accompanied by temporary account shadowbans.

Strikes can pile up, though, and repeat violators or those who’ve committed very serious offenses are in deeper trouble. Most will be warned via TikTok notification if they’re close to being suspended, and after another reported issue, their account will be temporarily or permanently suspended. 

Temporary suspensions generally last between 24 hours and a week, as long as you appeal and address the issues satisfactorily.

Permanent suspensions — also called bans — are just what their name says. Your account is gone unless you have an extremely compelling case. Bans can be triggered by posting videos with hate speech, violence, or sexually explicit material, copyright infringement, engaging in abusive behavior or illegal activities, and other serious violations of TikTok’s standards.

No matter which type of suspension you’ve received, you need to appeal as quickly as possible if you hope to have your account unsuspended, particularly since temporary suspensions become permanent if they haven’t been appealed within 30 days.

Let’s explain the process.

Appealing a TikTok Suspension

When your TikTok account is suspended, you’ll receive a notification in your inbox. You’ll find it by going to Inbox > System notifications > Account updates. You may also get a notification via email. Don’t ignore it.

The notice will explain the reason for the suspension and contain a link labeled “Appeal.” After you’ve gotten over your initial anger, click the link and explain why you think the suspension wasn’t justified. You can submit your appeal by going to Profile > Settings and privacy > Report a problem > Account recovery instead.

Remember, TikTok takes actions based on user reports and not their own investigations, so erroneous decisions are common.

For example, if the supposed violation was unapproved use of someone else’s content, you can explain the steps you took to get approval, or that your video contained original content with just a few seconds of the other content creator’s work heard in the background on someone else’s phone.

Be polite but firm, and if you were wrong, admit it. You might say that you didn’t realize what you did was against Community Standards, and promise to never do it again. Honesty is always the best policy, but you have the right to vigorously argue your case and request reinstatement. It usually won’t take long to get your account back if you win your appeal.

It’s a different matter if you’re appealing a permanent ban, though. You’ll only be able to log in for two purposes: downloading your personal data and submitting an appeal. When you appeal, you’ll need clear evidence (screenshots and other documentation can be a big help) that you didn’t commit the violation you’re accused of. Some luck won’t hurt, either.