TikTok, the platform celebrated for viral dances and creative expression, is increasingly becoming a minefield for content creators, especially those in the realm of dance and body positivity. For pole dancers like myself, navigating TikTok’s community guidelines feels like walking a tightrope, particularly when the specter of “implied nudity” looms large. My experience with repeated bans and content removal highlights a concerning trend: TikTok’s moderation seems to be cracking down on body expression, potentially stifling creativity and inclusivity. This isn’t just about pole dancing; it’s a reflection of a broader issue where online spaces for diverse bodies and sexuality are shrinking, impacting not only content creators but also the viewers seeking authentic and relatable content.
This story is not just mine. As many have pointed out, the censorship faced by sex workers on these platforms is even more severe and has been ongoing for much longer. The tightening restrictions on pole dancing content on TikTok is a symptom of this larger issue. If we don’t address the censorship of marginalized voices and bodies, these restrictive practices will eventually affect everyone. A more inclusive and tolerant social media environment for sex workers and dancers translates to a safer and more open space for all users.
Let me share my story of navigating the increasingly stringent content moderation on TikTok as a pole dancer and content creator.
My journey on TikTok took off in February 2021 when one of my videos went viral, rapidly growing my follower count to around 70,000. However, this sudden visibility also brought unwanted attention. Users who disapproved of my content, deeming pole dancing as inappropriate for TikTok, began mass-flagging my videos in an attempt to curate their feeds.
@bloggeronpoleThis week I became a ##dr in ##criminology & a ##poledancer ##WAP – With A ##PhD! You can learn this ##polechoreo & more via my @buymeacoffee in bio 🥰
TikTok’s algorithm, designed to broaden content exposure beyond echo chambers, ironically contributed to this issue. Unlike platforms like Instagram, TikTok’s “For You” page aims to break filter bubbles, sometimes pushing content to audiences who are predisposed to dislike it. While the intention of diversifying content is understandable, the platform’s infrastructure allows users to weaponize content flagging as a form of personal censorship. This loophole has led to frustrating experiences for me and many other pole dancers on TikTok.
A woman with long brown hair smiles at the camera, wearing a grey top and standing in front of a blurred background.This flaw in the system resulted in multiple temporary bans for me in February, culminating in the permanent deletion of my account. It was only through the intervention of journalist Chris Stokel-Walker, who highlighted my case in Input Mag, that my account and posting privileges were reinstated, along with an apology from TikTok. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone: a content moderation expert with a PhD in online abuse, actively researching biased content governance, was herself a victim of platform censorship.
Initially, TikTok was a welcoming space for pole dancers. When I started in January 2020, gaining 8,000 followers felt effortless. However, as TikTok’s popularity surged during the pandemic lockdowns, its moderation of nudity became increasingly strict. For a more detailed look at my early experiences, you can read this blog post. My reflections on the escalating censorship following Chris Stokel-Walker’s article are available here, where I discuss the vulnerability of being targeted by online abuse when the platform itself takes action against you.
While TikTok has introduced “be kind” features aimed at comment filtering and discouraging online abuse, the responsibility largely falls on creators to self-censor and adhere to increasingly restrictive community guidelines. As I mentioned to Connor Perrett at Business Insider, this approach feels like a cop-out. TikTok expects us to prevent abuse—I still have to wade through filtered rape threats when moderating comments—while failing to address the issue of mass flagging used to silence creators. The platform’s inherent structure remains unkind, and users exploit it.
The Month I Was Banned Four Times for Pole Dancing on TikTok
My experience with pole dancing on TikTok and the platform’s moderation in recent times can only be described as… chaotic.
From late April into early May, I faced a barrage of video removals and bans from posting, liking, or commenting. Users visiting my profile @bloggeronpole were often greeted with a stark warning:
A screenshot displays a TikTok warning message in a red box stating “Warning Account Violation”.
The situation deteriorated rapidly. Apart from the mistaken temporary ban in February, my account was permanently deleted three times in a single week in May, all for posting pole dancing content. Each time, TikTok’s Creator Support and community managers apologized, acknowledging that my account hadn’t violated guidelines and reinstating my profile. However, these reinstatements were short-lived, with my account being deleted again within days or even hours of the apology.
I documented this ongoing ordeal on Twitter, partly because my academic colleagues interested in content moderation are active there, and partly because my previous account reinstatement had stemmed from media attention sparked by my Twitter updates. Following each apology from TikTok, I offered my feedback and assistance, similar to my past efforts with Instagram moderation, but received no acknowledgment. My hope was that further media attention would highlight the issue and help resolve my account problems.
Despite multiple reassurance from @tiktok_uk that my account doesn’t violate community guidelines, today it was permanently banned for the 2nd time. This has been going on for weeks. My profile is targeted by mass flagging, and yet TikTok do nothing when I directly ask for help pic.twitter.com/YB0G2zSHmN
— Dr Carolina Are / Blogger On Pole (@bloggeronpole) May 8, 2021
Aaaand my @tiktok_uk has been banned again. Looks like it’s a sport, banning me. Can we get Carolina banned more than once a week? 🤣 https://t.co/i7qG5POvxD pic.twitter.com/VTv07NCaKw
— Dr Carolina Are / Blogger On Pole (@bloggeronpole) May 11, 2021
So yesterday I did not violate community guidelines, while this morning @tiktok_uk said I can’t ever login with my account again. This is inefficient and inconsistent, and shows how creators are hostage of reports by users who flag others as a form to curate feeds. #tiktok https://t.co/L5xBeZq27J pic.twitter.com/xAR9t7n6hj
— Dr Carolina Are / Blogger On Pole (@bloggeronpole) May 13, 2021
The “Implied Nudity” Paradox in Pole Dancing TikToks
My recent experiences on TikTok reveal a platform that has become less tolerant of nudity, sexuality, and body expression than even Instagram. Videos that thrive on Instagram are often algorithmically deleted by TikTok or flagged by users and never reinstated, even when the content is relatively tame. For instance, a pole fitness freestyle routine I performed in modest athletic wear as part of a brand partnership was flagged and removed (the same video remains on Instagram).
A screenshot from an Instagram Reel shows a woman in workout clothes doing pole dance moves.
Why is simply existing as a pole dancer on TikTok proving more challenging than on Instagram? It appears TikTok is adopting a “ban first, ask questions later” approach, and even the appeals process is less reliable than Instagram’s already confusing system.
The core issue seems to be a discrepancy between TikTok’s public-facing community guidelines and their internal moderation policies. While TikTok’s community guidelines regarding adult nudity and sexual activity officially prohibit:
– Content that explicitly or implicitly depicts sexual activities including penetrative and non-penetrative sex, oral sex, or erotic kissing
– Content that depicts sexual arousal or sexual stimulation
– Content that depicts a sexual fetish
– Content that depicts exposed human genitalia, female nipples or areola, pubic regions, or buttocks
– Content that contains sexually explicit language for sexual gratification
These guidelines are already broad and problematic, potentially encompassing sex education and various forms of self-expression. However, the truly concerning aspect is the apparent ban on “implied” or “partial” nudity. This was confirmed to me by a Creator Support representative in an email.
A screenshot of an email from TikTok Creator Support mentioning "implied nudity" as a reason for content removal.When I sought clarification from TikTok about this policy, as it could have been an individual employee’s interpretation, they neither confirmed nor denied the existence of a ban on “implied nudity.”
This ambiguous stance on “partial” or “implied” nudity is deeply troubling. What exactly constitutes “partial nudity”? Why are some users in bikinis seemingly unaffected, while pole dancers in relatively modest attire are flagged? The lack of clarity and consistent enforcement suggests arbitrary moderation. If, as RuPaul famously says, “we’re all born naked and the rest is drag,” TikTok’s vague “implied nudity” policy grants them the power to deem anyone as violating guidelines and ban them without clear justification.
Reclaiming My Account: A Cycle of Bans and Reinstatements
As artist Armando Cabba pointed out in an Instagram DM, my relationship with TikTok felt like an abusive one. As a survivor of abusive relationships, this analogy resonates deeply. The cycle of “we want you, but we don’t, but we delete you, but we want you back, but not like this” is not only distressing and frustrating but also indicative of an inefficient and harmful moderation system for both creators and TikTok itself.
After my third permanent ban in a week, TikTok initially stated my account was permanently lost and I could no longer log in. However, through the intervention of Chris Stokel-Walker, who contacted their PR department, my account was reinstated. It wasn’t the platform’s appeals process that worked, but media intervention.
Thanks to the legend that is @stokel my 86K @tiktok_uk account has been reinstated (after already being deleted twice in the past 5 days). This moderation system is clearly inefficient. Would LOVE to feedback to Tiktok on this to stop it happening to me & other creators https://t.co/h3cVtV57Au pic.twitter.com/9nHerhYeWc
— Dr Carolina Are / Blogger On Pole (@bloggeronpole) May 13, 2021
I received the following non-apology from TikTok twice – after the February incident and again recently:
“We combine advanced technologies with thousands of experts all around the world to mitigate misuse and misconduct. We’re open about the fact that we won’t catch every instance of inappropriate content or account activity – that’s why we combine advanced technologies with thousands of experts all around the world to mitigate misuse and misconduct, and we continue to invest at scale in these resources.”
Beyond this generic statement, TikTok assured me they were consulting their Trust and Safety team to improve my experience.
My experience underscores the powerlessness TikTok users face when confronted with platform moderation. Had I permanently lost my account, I would have lost 86,000 followers, a platform to promote my classes, and a vital brand partnership tool. My recovery was due to media connections and my profile as a moderation researcher and blogger – advantages most users lack. Countless creators without these resources are left without recourse when unfairly banned, facing silencing, deplatforming, and discrimination that contradicts social media’s purported mission of creating safe and inclusive spaces.
Self-Censorship: Pole Dancers Adapt to TikTok’s Puritancial Climate
How are other pole dancers navigating TikTok’s increasingly restrictive moderation? Conversations reveal a trend of self-censorship to cope with the platform’s puritanical approach.
I spoke with @angelaaerial, a prominent pole dancer on TikTok with over 600,000 followers. She shared her strategies for success and ban avoidance:
I’ve been on it for a year and I feel like I’ve picked up on some things! But honestly, it’s what I wear now. If I do a video wearing pole bottoms, it’ll get taken down and I have to appeal. So I’m way more covered up now, which works ok because I mostly do choreo.
@angelaaerial
Angela also offered tips for maintaining visibility and engagement: “I hear people saying consistency is important. So posting regularly every day or every other day. And actively commenting and engaging with other TikTok videos.”
@angelaaerial🔉 sound on ✨ set by @winkfitnesswear – code angela10 ##poledancing ##dancetutorial ##heelclacks ##heels ##fyp ##poletok
Jack Scott Lee, a pole instructor and studio owner, also observed this trend. He noted that he avoids bans by wearing more covering speedos, believing that exposing “booty cheeks” increases the risk of content removal.
@jackscottlee22##stripperbooty ##vegasstrippers ##stripperpole ##atlantastrippers ##poledanceart ##strippershoes ##poledance ##igdancer ##imastrippernotadancer ##stripper
@marie4pole, a studio owner and pole influencer with nearly 275,000 followers, consistently struggles with content removal and bans:
She explains, “My stuff is always getting removed on TikTok. I’m almost always banned. Nearly every week. I literally get to post for a few days then I”m banned.”
Kheanna Walker, a pole instructor based in Glasgow, is also currently banned for “violating” nudity and sexuality guidelines.
@kheannawalkerLove this new track by @odreiimellow 🔥 ##fyp ##foryou ##trending ##poledancer ##poledance ##poletok ##polecombo
Kheanna describes TikTok’s moderation as “unacceptable” and “sickening,” stating, “TikTok heavily discriminates against pole dancers. It’s so incredibly frustrating to have my work and my art banned for absolutely no reason.”
Marika Waldorf, an Italian pole dance instructor and studio owner, has also faced similar challenges. After a video went viral, she experienced harassment and threats, even involving the police.
While these threats persisted, Marika’s videos are increasingly removed, and her appeals are consistently rejected.
@marikawaldorfFollow me on ig @marikawaldorf ##LiveForTheChallenge ##theLOLchallenge ##poledance ##viral ##hoInMenteTeChallenge ##foryou ##perte ##fy ##neiperte ##fyp
♬ The Passenger (LaLaLa) [feat. MOKABY] – LUM!X & D.T.E & Gabry Ponte
In essence, TikTok appears to be intensifying its moderation of nudity, driven perhaps by pressure related to its younger audience. However, this disproportionately impacts sex workers, pole dancers, and sex educators, marginalizing voices that deserve visibility. This creates a culture of self-censorship and makes simply existing on the platform a constant battle.
The Inefficiency of Algorithmic Moderation
In recent communications, TikTok shared these moderation statistics:
- 89,132,938 videos were globally removed for violating Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.
- 92.4% were removed before user reports.
- 83.3% were removed before any views.
- 93.5% were removed within 24 hours of posting.
While proactive removal of harmful content is crucial, the system becomes problematic when legitimate content is caught in the crossfire. Inconsistent appeals processes and unresponsive platform communication amplify the frustration. Apologies for moderation errors are meaningless if they don’t translate into improvements in the AI and machine learning systems that drive these errors.
My hope is that my account will now be spared further disruptions. However, the larger issue remains: TikTok’s moderation infrastructure needs significant improvement to accommodate diverse forms of expression, including those related to nudity, sexuality, and body positivity.
TikTok’s establishment of a Safety Advisory Council suggests an attempt to address these concerns. Ideally, such councils should include diverse voices and perspectives, perhaps even mine. Currently, the approach seems to be “combat online harms, even if legitimate content gets caught in the process”—a common failing in social media governance and regulation. For fairer moderation, integrating human rights principles into social media governance and prioritizing human moderators and effective appeals systems is essential. Algorithmic solutions alone are insufficient and prone to bias.
As Tiff Finney aptly summarized, social media is indispensable to the pole dance industry, fostering growth, learning, inspiration, networking, and community. If these spaces shrink, particularly for marginalized creators, we risk losing vital aspects of our identity and community. It’s time for TikTok to truly listen and adapt its moderation practices to be more inclusive and equitable.
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