Many sites and apps retain the right to delete or suspend user accounts if they do not comply with their rules and regulations.
However, some accounts are simply inactive and taking up space.
Does TikTok delete inactive accounts?
There are some websites that will cull these inactive accounts in order to take up space, but it is unclear at this time if TikTok is one of those apps or sites. TikTok can remove accounts for violations, and some do glitch and get deleted on accident, it is unclear if they cull inactive accounts.
Let’s dive in!
A Brief History of TikTok Account Deletion:
In 2019, TikTok was infamous for deleting thousands of user accounts to comply with a compliance violation that cost them over 5 million dollars.
Users on TikTok must be thirteen years or older in order to view and post content on the app. However, this was not being strictly enforced by the app until they were fined for violating child privacy laws, which were allegedly putting children at risk.
Many social apps and online social media are a stomping ground for nefarious or dangerous individuals who sometimes target children or those under the age of eighteen. TikTok is one of those apps frequented, and it was becoming a problem.
Because of this, TikTok was forced to take action to be better when it came to providing safety and security for the children of thirteen and older on their app.
Tik Tok also stores your location data, though. Many people are not aware of this.
Deleting Thousands of Accounts All at Once
They released an update in early 2019 that prompted users to verify their ages.
When users who were thirteen and older attempted to verify, for many users, the app glitched, causing the age date listed to say “2019” as the year each user was born.
This resulted in thousands of accounts deleted or removed because the app believed the users were “less than a year old.”
This was met with a massive backlash from the TikTok community, especially famous users with thousands or millions of fans who they lost overnight. TikTok attempted to handle the enormous influx of complaints and online support claims, but the incident will forever go down in TikTok history as a colossal failure.
Since then, TikTok users have periodically found their accounts accidentally deleted, and it is considered a “common random event” on the app by some who use it.
This is concerning, but how does an account get deleted, and why?
Do You Have to Keep Your Account Active to Not Get Deleted?
Inactive accounts can take up a lot of space and data on a significant app, and many sites will remove or “cull” inactive ones in order to delete that data to save space.
According to TikTok’s user, privacy, and legal materials that are available to the public, nothing is currently stated in their resources that say they will cull or remove inactive accounts over a certain period of time.
However, there are unsourced reports of accounts being removed or deleted by the app seemingly done as a glitch.
Whether these rumors are true or if these reports are accurate is currently up for speculation in 2020.
What Will Cause TikTok to Delete an Account?
TikTok accounts can be deleted for legitimate reasons.
According to their rules and regulations, TikTok will ban accounts that publish videos that include:
- Hate Speech
- Violent Acts or Deaths
- Gore, Wounds or Injuries
- Threats to the Lives or Safety of Others
- Self Harm or Dangerous Acts to Oneself
- Prejudice or Discrimination against someone based on any protected attributes (race, gender, religion, etc.)
If your account is reported or found to include videos, including any prohibited themes or content, your account can be permanently removed or banned from the site.
Furthermore, you have the ability to keep your TikTok community safe by reporting users or dangerous videos that you think could violate these terms and conditions.
If you see anything that makes you uncomfortable or you think it is hazardous to the health and wellbeing of others, make sure to let TikTok know!
What Can you Do if Your Account Gets Deleted?
There is usually no way to recover a deleted TikTok account, but if you are banned or under scrutiny or review for your behavior on the app, you can try to advocate keeping your account alive.
If you suspect that your account could be deleted for something that you posted or if someone has reported you, try to contact TikTok support and attempt to keep your account from being deleted.
However, if you were found guilty in violation of policies, Support will not make an exception, and your account will be deleted.
If your account is deleted, you will have to simply make a new account and begin again.
If, however, your account was deleted as of a glitch or due to a TikTok error, contacting support might be an excellent way to try and get it turned back on.
Can You Recover a Deleted Account?
If your account has been deleted, you cannot recover it.
TikTok will warn you before you delete your account that it is a permanent decision that you are making. They give users an option, therefore, to decide against deleting their account before officially doing it.
This is because you cannot recover your account once you have deleted it, essentially wiping all your content from the app permanently.
Instead, you would have to create a whole new account and either re-upload files that you saved or downloaded elsewhere, or you would have to start over completely fresh.
If that’s the case, you will not retain your followers, fans, or any old chat conversations.
Can You Ask TikTok to Delete Your Account?
Many users who are tired of the app and no longer want evidence of their videos on the site will end up deleting their accounts.
This is a major decision to make, and many TikTok users who go this route are more likely to download and backup all files and videos beforehand, just in case they ever decide to go back on the app.
Sometimes they will retain videos and information just as keepsakes and for memories.
How to Delete Your Account:
Deleting your account is a very easy process to do!
Once you have decided to remove your account from the app completely, go to your account’s profile tab and click on settings.
After this, tap the “…” symbol in the top right corner of your phone.
Now, follow these steps:
- Tap “Manage My Account”
- Go to: “Delete Account”
- Follow Prompted Steps for Completion
Once your account is fully deleted, you cannot access it or log in to the TikTok app using your previous information.
This means that you will have lost all access to your videos that you posted as well as shared information such as chat messages.
However, your shared information, such as chat messages, may still be visible to others.
Finally, you will have lost all purchased items or upgrades to your account and will not be able to get a refund.
Remember: Deleting an Account is a Permanent Decision
If you are considering deleting your account from the app, you will want to make sure that this is a permanent decision that you would like to undertake.
As we’ve mentioned before, you cannot recover a TikTok account that can’t be recovered once it has been deleted. This means that if you don’t back up your files and videos, you could run the risk of losing all content that you have created forever.
Therefore, if you do decide to delete your account, make sure you take all necessary steps and precautions beforehand and verify with yourself whether or not you truly want to deactivate your account.
How Long Should Your Account Be Inactive to be Deleted?
It is unclear if TikTok removes or takes time to “cull” inactive accounts from the site or app.
This means that if you walk away from TikTok for a year, the account may still be waiting for you when you get back.
However, if you think you won’t use the app, post videos, or be part of the TikTok community anymore or for long periods of time, consider the possibility of removing your account.
That way, your previous content will be removed from the community, and you wouldn’t have to worry about someone seeing videos that you don’t care about anymore.
Just remember that the deletion of an account is permanent, so make sure it is what you truly want to do.
References:
Delete Your Account – TikTok Support
TikTok Users Are Furious After Their Accounts Got Deleted After The Under-13 Purge – Buzzfeed News
TikTok Community Guidelines – Things That Will Get Your Account Banned