The concept of being “shadowbanned” on TikTok is a frequent topic of debate because there are varying definitions of what it is, how to tell if it’s happening, and what to do to correct it. Online forums and other media platforms have been accused of shadowbanning users for years before TikTok, but the term is seeing a revival right now because of its connection to such a popular app. Despite it being a common idea, no one can confirm that it’s actually real.
The most common definition of a shadowban on TikTok is when an account abruptly stops receiving views, likes, and traffic from the For You page. Users feel that if they’d had success previously, and that success suddenly dries up, it’s a result of TikTok’s algorithm choosing to surface their content less often. That, of course, sounds like a punishment, leading most TikTok users to conclude that shadowbanning is a reaction to objectionable content that violates the platform’s rules.
The problem with this idea is that it’s wholly illogical. If TikTok, or any platform, found a user’s posts to be in clear violation of its terms, it would be in the service’s best interest to issue a formal warning or suspension. There are countless stories of people’s YouTube channels being demonetized, for example. While it’s demonstrably true that a TikToker’s views and engagement can take sudden dives, it’s more likely due to the performance of the creator’s recent content. TikTok is probably not secretly wanting to ban you, but refraining from doing so.
What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Shadowbanned
Obviously, there’s no proof that shadowbanning is or isn’t real, but the best indicators that it’s simply a myth based on people’s misunderstanding of social media marketing and algorithms are the proposed solutions. Every reasonable solution to shadowbanning is some version of advice to improve your content’s reach. For example, the most common, specific tip you’ll find doing a Google search on how to get un-shadowbanned will be to go into your TikTok account settings and tap “Switch to a Pro Account”. The reason given is that it allows you to see analytics for your posts, and find out how people are accessing your videos.
That’s essentially online marketing 101. If you have trouble getting eyes on your work, figure out the avenues through which to get a larger audience. Another common tip is to refrain from making potentially objectionable content. If you often make videos that might trigger users or promote things that could be harmful, many people feel that could lead to a shadowban. However, those also happen to be things that could make a channel unlikable, too. Logically speaking, making videos people find unpleasant or unentertaining will probably not get you likes, which will affect your For You performance and compromise views.
Therefore, if you’re concerned that your TikTok account was shadowbanned, consider revamping your content approach. Use Pro mode to get more insight into the areas in which you’re lacking. Consider making more thematically similar videos so that if people like one video, they might enjoy the next one because it’s in a similar category. The For You page also rewards videos with a similar theme, since that’s one of the metrics it uses to determine its recommendations. Ultimately, whether shadowbans are real or not, the goal for a creator should be to get familiar with the algorithm and make consistently entertaining content. Don’t be discouraged by an unprovable myth.
