What Does the Phrase “Fake Body” Mean on TikTok?

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Learn how TikTokers are cheating the censoring system

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: February 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Fake Body Meaning
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• TikTok’s Censoring Guidelines
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• Tips

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You’re doing your daily TikTok scroll when you stumble across a video of a woman in a bikini captioned #fakebody. But her body looks anything but fake—why isn’t she owning it? On TikTok, “fake body” doesn’t mean the user’s body isn’t real; it means they’re trying to trick the algorithm. Here’s everything you need to know about this popular TikTok slang term.

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Section 1 of 2:

What does “fake body” mean?

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1. 
   On TikTok, “fake body” is used to describe partial nudity. TikTok has some pretty strict rules when it comes to nudity. The social media app’s censoring system is programmed to flag and report any video that captures nudity or partial nudity, including videos of people wearing bathing suits. Many users will caption videos showing partial nudity with “fake body,” “⚠️ FAKE BODY ⚠️,” or “#fakebody” to try and throw off the algorithm’s censoring system.

   • “Fake body” doesn’t necessarily mean the body in the video is fake—it can be very real, but an AI program or bot might not know that.
   • Think of it like a cheat code. Typing “fake body” in the video’s captions, description, or comments can trick censorship so a video with partial nudity isn’t taken down or flagged.
   • Keep in mind that this cheat isn’t foolproof. TikTok has censorship for a reason, and full nudity is never tolerated.
   • TikTok detects violations in their guidelines by using automated and human evaluations. This means that an AI program or human being could flag a video.
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Section 2 of 2:

TikTok’s Censoring Guidelines

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1. 
   TikTok does not allow any form of nudity. Believe it or not, when it comes to censorship, TikTok is one of the strictest social media sites out there. The popular app’s community guidelines state, “We do not allow nudity…sheer and partially see-through clothing is not considered covered.”

   • According to TikTok, nudity is defined as “showing intimate body parts that prevailing cultural norms indicate should be fully covered.”
   • There are some exceptions when it comes to nudity; however, this is limited to “medical treatment, educational purposes, and culturally accepted practices.”

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Tips

• If you think your content on TikTok was flagged or taken down by mistake, you can appeal the decision by tapping the “Appeal” button under the video’s “More data” information.
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• Don’t agree with TikTok’s censorship guidelines? Contact TikTok to get support and express your concerns.
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