Have you tried to join a TikTok LIVE video, but received a message stating that the ‘room has been blocked?’
Perhaps you were in the middle of watching one, when you got kicked out with this message.
This can be confusing, especially if you’ve never seen it before, and you aren’t sure what’s going wrong.
So, in this article I’ll be explaining what this message means, what caused it to happen, and how to avoid it in the future!
What Does ‘The Room Has Been Blocked’ Mean On TikTok?
If you see a message stating ‘the room has been blocked’ on TikTok, this means that the LIVE video that you were trying to join has been banned and deleted by TikTok moderators.
This is usually due to rule-breaking behavior, and typically occurs alongside punishment for the host of the LIVE video.
We’ll talk more about specific causes and punishments a little later on in the article.
However, it’s important to understand that no matter what you do, you will not be able to rejoin the room, as it no longer exists.
So, despite the fact that the LIVE video still may appear to be running, it will be impossible to watch. If you try to rejoin, you will continue to get the ‘the room has been blocked’ message repeatedly until the LIVE video disappears completely.
Does This Mean I’ve Been Banned From TikTok LIVE?
When you see a message stating that the room has been blocked, it’s natural to worry that it’s something you did, and that you’re the one that’s being punished.
But is this actually true? Thankfully not!
Just because a room that you’re trying to join has been blocked does not mean that you’ve been banned from TikTok LIVE in any way.
It also doesn’t mean that the streamer kicked or banned you from watching their broadcast.
So, you really don’t have anything to worry about. Unless you were the person livestreaming when this message occurred, the message has nothing to do with you – it’s entirely based around the person who was livestreaming.
Unfortunately though, it’s likely that the streamer did end up receiving some sort of ban – either permanently, or temporarily depending on the offense.
Why Do Rooms Get Blocked?
As you might expect, the primary reason that rooms get blocked and livestreamers get banned on TikTok is for violating TikTok’s community guidelines.
These are a set of rules in place to ensure that users avoid streaming content that may be inappropriate, illegal, or offensive.
However, did you know that TikTok has a separate set of guidelines specifically for livestreaming?
While it contains all of the obvious stuff (like no inappropriate content, and no streaming of breaking the law), there are also far more specific issues that TikTok cares about as well.
For example, recording your TV can earn you a one day ban, while a 17 year old simply being pregnant will earn them a permanent ban, even if they did nothing wrong.
The full details for this can be found in TikTok’s live policy guidelines for moderators, which moderators use as a guideline for when to issue bans, and how long they should be.
Note that this was originally published in March 2020 by The Intercept, and may no longer be up-to-date. However, it still provides a lot of interesting insight as to why TikTok closes certain livestreams, and how long the bans are for various offenses!
Why Am I Repeatedly Getting ‘The Room Has Been Blocked’ On Several TikTok Live Videos?
Finally, let’s look over what happens if you are continuously seeing this message, regardless of what LIVE videos you try to watch.
Since we know that this message is typically tied to the streamer and not to any viewers, why is this happening?
While it’s impossible to know for sure, I have a few theories.
The first is that there’s a platform-wide issue with LIVE videos at the moment, and you are experiencing some sort of technical glitch.
LIVE videos are handled and delivered differently than normal TikTok videos are, so it’s possible for them to be impacted while normal videos play just fine.
It’s also possible that you’ve done something that prevents you from watching LIVE videos, or interacting with them in some way.
For example, if you were reported for harassing livestreamers in the chat, it’s possible TikTok may have issued some sort of punishment that prevents you from joining or participating in LIVE videos, even without a full ban. Usually, this is temporary and lasts 3-7 days.
Finally, it’s also possible that you’re just insanely unlucky – and joined several TikTok LIVES where the streamer was recently banned from livestreaming – hence the message stating that the room is blocked.
A bit far-fetched, but it’s surely happened to someone!
Conclusion
When you receive a message saying ‘the room has been blocked’, this simply means that the livestream has been closed by a TikTok moderator.
Depending on the reason for the closure, the livestreamer may also receive a temporary or permanent ban from TikTok LIVE. As a viewer however, you are not in any trouble.
I hope that this article has cleared some things up, and eased some concerns.
If you have any other questions about going live on TikTok, ask them below and I’ll be happy to help!
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister