After getting slapped with a $5.7 million dollar fine by the FTC for violating child privacy laws, TikTok is making sweeping changes to the platform — including deleting accounts.
People under the age of 13 now have a drastically different app experience to better conform with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Some of those changes include being unable to share videos or have a public profile. The TikTok app now prompts people to verify their birthdays, but the algorithms appear to have gone wonky. Some people who have registered accounts as 13 and over have found their accounts deleted.
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, a 15-year-old confirmed that she used her current birthdate, but the account was instantly deleted. Her account had over 17,000 fans, and they were wiped clean with just a simple age verification check.
Some users caught in the crossfire include individuals who entered fake birthdays that make them appear to be under 13. These accounts were instantly deleted with no chance to correct the birthdays to the actual age.
TikTok said those people who have experienced an account deletion in this manner will have to verify their true age with a copy of their government ID. The instant deletion was probably designed as an attempt to prevent young users from lying about their age to skirt the new age-gated app.
Users who have been locked out of their accounts report having trouble accessing the report tool linked by TikTok.
TikTok has support staff working to help individuals affected, but this just goes to show what a clusterfuck this whole situation has been.
Some reports indicate that child predators have targeted the popular video-sharing app as a place to meet young people. The app’s user base trends overwhelmingly to those 18 and below. Unlike Snapchat, videos shared with fans are not deleted after a set period of time.
This is dum !
I don’t think you should just delete people acc with no proof
You’re not wrong at all! It is disrespectful and rude! Even though people are 13 years and younger doesn’t give them the right to do that!
It is very disrespectful!! They shouldn’t do this to us! We’ve worked so hard for our fans and our whole entire account! Some people have had tiktok and their account for a few years!
IKR I agree with u
I know I cried just now when I found out my Tik tok I had had for over a year with 2.3k fans WAS GONE
Nice one, TikTok. People have worked hard for their accounts only to have them deleted.
Actually it does give them a right. It’s a 13+ app, and it’s THEIR APP. They made the rules for the app, and if people don’t follow the rules they have the right to delete their accounts.
while true, it would be sad to check on your favorite user who made honest, quality content, to find out that their account has been deleted.
while that is true, would you be okay with the president executing a person just because he could?
He wouldn’t really be a president then would he? Only dictators and other forms of rulers without balance and check systems have the power to do that. There’s no possible way for a president to execute someone of his own accord unless he hire a private assassin.
Except for the small issue with people who meet the age requirements are getting years of their videos deleted with no ability to access their accounts, and no way to contact the bogus company. Do you have reading comprehension issues? And no, it’s not their app. They are made for the users. Ever heard of customer service?
It’s not really their rule more than it is a government rule. Specifically, one that was passed way back in 1998. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Online_Privacy_Protection_Act
Ok, but for the ppl following the rules like ME and still got my account deleted for NO reason! It’s not fair. My mom even has access to my account to make sure nothing is too over the top. I don’t swear, I don’t do anything crazy, and I’m 15. So why delete my account without letting me verify my DOB?
Exactly
You’re right this is all stupid, I’ve had 3 banned accounts now.
This is un fair ! People use this app to express their feelings. How immature of you !!
It’s not immature, it’s trying to enforce the app’s rules.
Tiktok didn’t care about pedophiles until they got sued by the FTC. I’m guessing you are either very young or very low in intellect.
This is so unfair. People have spent time and effort on their videos and you are just going to delete them without warning. You should at least tell them before you delete them so that they can save all their videos they have spent time on. ?
It’s not fair Tik Tok is a fun app I have it and I’m 13 I don’t want my account to be deleted I’ve worked so hard on my private account
Can you please not do that why don’t you just put everyone underage for the app and make them private account some kids work really hard and even get famous
Why does tiktok have to do this to all the people who have worked so hard? Especially since musical.ly is coming back, they’re going to do this to us? How disrespectful of them. ????
I don’t really like when tik tok deletes accounts people worked hard for it.
I know they shouldnt do this to us
Honestly if ur under thirteen when u started then I mean they have a right even having it for a few years
IF YOU GUYS ARE UNDER 13 YOU SHOULDNT BE ON THE APP. PERIOD. I don’t care if you “worked so hard on it!” The app is 13+ if you aren’t 13+ then you are not allowed on the app!
tiktok is just rude so i had to make like three new accounts because of this today they ask me for my date of birth i pick 1996 and my account was staring to but zeros i don’t get why they deleted my account
I went into tiktok a few days ago and found out that my account had been deleted.
I’ve had this account for years and now all of my work is GONE.
Cant believe you tiktok wth
I had to make a new account; hope tiktok doesnt delete this one too
So Im 13. Period. 13. And I have 1 aesthetic account and 1 main and I was logging off of my main and later I wanted back on my main but it would let me in so I was like wtf so i got on my aesthetic acc and tried 2 find my main but it wasn’t there, I liked my videos on my aesthetic and they didn’t pop up like I’ve don’t nothing this is immature idc y’all kids come at me but I put hard work in my main 2 earn 400 fans
People work sooo hard to have tik tok and to have fun on tik toc so it’s not right to just delete there accounts!! I thought tik tok was a nice, friendly app until I heard this news
My daughter who is over 13 is sooo upset because her account was one of the ones that was deleted. She’s been using app for years and had 100’s of videos that she work hard at making. Does anyone know if there’s anyway to get the account back,or is it deleted permanently?
I’ve had my Tiktok account for sometime and have had nothing but fun with it posting nothing but funny videos. I post a video today that started with it getting deleted without any reason and then I went to log back in later on and my account couldn’t be found. I feel this is unnecessary. It took me a while to build up my profile and my “fans” that I had. Completely deleting my account was definitely unexpected and without any notice whatsoever. I will not ever be making another account with tiktok. I was a great user of the account and never posted anything derogatory or inappropriate.
I have had my tik tok for about 1 year and a month. When I went on it a couple weeks ago my account was gone. I was super mad and through a ball across the room. I had 28 followers so what it is my life. Tik tok can not just delete peoples accounts without their permission. I will try to get tik tok back, but if it deletes me again I will report tik tok if I could!
I entered a random birthdate when it asked me, I am over 13. This is ridiculous, I am very upset.
This is so dumb! My sister has more clout than me! And she’s 15, and I’m 21!
This is wonderful news, as TikTok is comparable to the excrement of coprophagous creatures, and everyone on this platform is a piece of trash. I shall spit upon its grave.