TikTok, the popular video app, has been under scrutiny recently for its handling of banned accounts and the interpretation of its community guidelines. Many users have reported being banned from the platform without warning or clear explanation, leading to confusion and frustration. I am now officially one of those users  who has been screwed over by TikTok as my account was banned without notice.  They flagged me for a “nudity” violation for a post many months old.  I attempted to appeal, but not only does the TikTok appeal process not have any method for creator comment or feedback on the violation, it clearly doesn’t involve a secondary review at all. So I posted the violation notice and my feedback as a video post and surprise, surprise, the account was banned minutes later.

Just so other TikTok creators understand the impacts of having your account banned, any content you created using their app is gone, completely inaccessible unless you downloaded it all as you made it.  Any post you liked or added to your favorites to go back to, are now also inaccessible. In short, any time you have spent using the TikTok app becomes instantly worthless, with no way to hold TikTok accountable.

One common perception of the issue is that TikTok seems to have a very broad interpretation of what constitutes a violation of its guidelines. For example, some users have been banned for posting content that is deemed to be “inappropriate,” even if it is not explicit or offensive. This has led to a feeling of censorship

among users, who feel that their content is being unfairly removed without proper justification. More recently that view of a “broad interpretation” is being found to be not so broad, but a specific reaction to “reports” backed by paid companies contracted by TikTok to moderate accounts and who have shown a distinct bias in how they interpret rules.  Many creators are openly calling out TikTok on this bias, but there has been no response from TikTok except banning accounts who are too vocal about it.

Another problem is that TikTok often fails to provide clear explanations for why an account has been banned. Many users report receiving generic notifications that their accounts have been suspended for “violating community guidelines,” without any further information or context. This lack of transparency has led to speculation and rumors about the true reasons for the bans, and has fueled resentment among users who feel that their accounts have been unfairly targeted.

In addition to the issues with banned accounts, TikTok has also faced criticism for its handling of moderated content. Many users have reported that their videos have been removed or flagged for review, even if they do not violate any of the platform’s guidelines. This has led to confusion and frustration, as users struggle to understand why their content is being moderated and how they can avoid future issues.

Overall, it seems that TikTok has struggled to effectively enforce its community guidelines and fairly moderate content on the platform. While the app has certainly made efforts to improve its policies and processes, it is clear that there is still a long way to go in terms of providing users with a clear and transparent understanding of what is and is not allowed on the platform.

One possible solution to these issues could be for TikTok to provide more detailed explanations for why accounts are banned and what users can do to avoid similar issues in the future. Additionally, the platform could benefit from more consistent and transparent moderation practices, so that users know what to expect and can be confident that their content will not be removed or flagged without good reason.

TikTok’s sudden banning of accounts and poor interpretation of violations has led to confusion and frustration among users. While the platform has made efforts to improve its policies and processes, there is still room for improvement in terms of transparency and consistency. By providing clearer explanations for banned accounts and more consistent moderation practices, TikTok can work to rebuild trust and improve the user experience on the platform.

Note: To be clear, I never posted any photos of people on my TikTok account and the only “nudity” was a bare hand at most. I never even showed people in animated or art form.  Yes, I rode the line on sexual content because my comments were related to sexual sub-cultures, but they were not erotic or crossing the line by any stretch, especially when compared with content TikTok promotes and pushes to their ForYou pages everyday.