We usually ban or suspend an account or PlayStation system because a user has broken the Community Code of Conduct. Find out more about how to avoid a ban or suspension by checking the Community Code of Conduct article.
When your console has been banned or suspended no local user accounts on the system can use it to sign in to PlayStation Network. This means that the system cannot be used for online gaming through PlayStation Network, accessing PlayStation Store or managing your account. The accounts can be used on other PlayStation systems, provided the accounts have not also been banned or suspended.
When your account has been banned or suspended this means that you cannot sign in to PlayStation Network through your Sony Entertainment Network account on any PlayStation system or other device that you use to access your account.
A suspension is temporary. We will let you know how long the suspension is if we email you or you contact us. A ban is permanent and cannot be lifted.
If we have placed a ban or suspension on your account or PlayStation system you will see an error code when you attempt to sign-in to PlayStation Network. If you’ve searched for an error code and landed on this page, the code you have seen is related to a ban or suspension. Refer to the email we would have sent you for more information. The email will include:
We will not email you if:
The moderators and customer support can’t give you further information about a ban or suspension. When we ban or suspend a user we investigate and double check the activity that they have been accused of to make sure we do not ban a user by mistake. This means that we will very rarely lift a ban or end a suspension early.
Check the email we sent to your sign-in ID email address. Please note that Customer Support and the moderators cannot provide any more information than the general reason for the ban/suspension (as listed below). Customer Support and the moderators cannot provide copies or transcripts of any activity that led to the ban.
We may ban or suspend a user’s account or system if they have broken the SEN Terms of Service. The breach could have been during online gameplay or using any form of online communication in a game/service published by Sony (1st party) or a game/service published by another company (3rd party).
We thoroughly investigate any complaints or Grief Reports before we make the decision to ban or suspend a user. This means that our decision to ban or suspend a user is final. The only exception is when the ban or suspension has been imposed because of account debt and the user has repaid the debt.
When we ban or suspend a user we investigate and double check the activity that they have been accused of to make sure we do not ban a user by mistake. This means that we will very rarely lift a ban or end a suspension early.
You are responsible for all activity on your account. This is part of the SEN Terms of Service that you agreed to when you created your account. If you have shared your PlayStation Network account information with another user who has been banned for activity while signed-in to your account, we will not lift the ban.
We thoroughly investigate any complaints or Grief Reports before we make the decision to ban or suspend a user. This means that our decision to ban or suspend a user is final. The only exception is when the ban or suspension has been imposed because of account debt and the user has repaid the debt.
Customer Support can tell you the general reason for the ban or suspension, as shown in the email we sent you, but will not enter into any further discussion. If you would like further information on the reason for your ban please refer to the email that was sent to the Sign-in ID Email Address and check the SEN Terms of Service for further general information.
If your account has been banned you no longer have access to content you have purchased, any subscriptions, or any trophies you have earned. You will not receive refunds for any content or subscriptions that are active at the time of the ban. This is in line with the SEN Terms of Service.
If your console has been banned you will be able to access your account, content and subscription services from another system, provided your account has not also been banned.
You may retain limited access to some features when your console and account are suspended/banned. We cannot confirm what will remain available as this is subject to change.
Once a PlayStation system has been banned the decision is final and cannot be reversed. This is because we only ban PlayStation systems and accounts for the most severe behaviour and it is impossible to verify that another user attempting to access PlayStation Network through the system is not the user that has been banned.
PlayStation and Sony Entertainment Network recommend only purchasing new PlayStation products from reputable retailers to make sure you do not purchase a banned system. If you have purchased a banned PlayStation system, please contact the retailer for help.