ADVERTISEMENT

If you’re a TikTok user, there’s no way in the world you haven’t heard about the plans and execution (as odd as it is) of its ban in the United States. 

Several days before the ban on the 19th of January, the platform was full of people saying goodbye, reliving their viral moments, or sharing the secrets that they held all this time. In fact, such a trend happened not only on the video app itself but outside of it too. Like, when this former employee of TikTok decided to answer any question he got about it on X. And let’s just say the questions ranged from normal to quite odd ones.

More info: X

Image credits: armankhon

#1

A Twitter exchange discussing the impact of a ban with references to basic human rights and preventing brainrot.

armankhon Report

Add photo comments
POST
RELATED:
    #2

    Twitter exchange discussing TikTok secrets, comparing practices to other big tech companies like Meta.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Let me spell it out for you. Any Chinese company is required, by law, to hand over anything the CCP wants. Anything. At least in the US you have the courts to argue with, in China, nada. Hell, people today would have downloaded Kampf Tok in 1939.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    In 2017, the app called Musical.ly was acquired by ByteDance Ltd.. In 2018, it merged with a Chinese app and became what is known as TikTok.

    At first, the platform was focused on short-length videos, but with time, the possible length was increased and as of today the app allows users to record up to 10 minutes and upload up to 60 minutes of video.

    These videos can be of any type, from dancing to food preparation and educational videos. Just as the length of the videos was short, its popularity wasn’t very significant at first either.

    #4

    Tweet exchange hinting at TikTok app secrets, with one user joking about personal data access.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Everything started slowly changing in 2019 when Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road” became one of the first songs to have a trendy moment on the app. From that point on, the musical artist started viewing this app as another way to reach fans. 

    Pretty soon after that, COVID-19 lockdowns happened and with people spending way more time at home than usual, the app’s audience grew rapidly, reporting a 45% increase in monthly active users between July 2020 and July 2022. In 2024, it was among the most popular apps worldwide. 

    Yet, not all was well. Ever since 2019, politicians have been ringing the bells about TikTok’s safety, calling for a federal investigation of Musical.ly's acquisition; a national security probe into TikTok and other Chinese-owned apps; and The Pentagon recommending U.S. military personnel delete TikTok, culminating in talks of banning it.

    #7

    Tweet thread discussing TikTok usage, suggesting giving kids books to read instead.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    Tweet exchange about TikTok secrets with humorous comment on a past job by former employee.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST

    The first (or at least one of the first) discussions were ignited by Donald Trump in 2020 when he considered it retaliation for China’s alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic or, as other sources say, because he viewed it as a national security threat.

    Ever since, once in a while, new rumors and political actions about TikTok’s ban would happen, but nothing serious came of it until recently. It was announced that the app would be shut down in the US on January 19th, 2025. Creators started posting apologies and revelations, which led some people to say it felt like the end of the Titanic. 

    #11

    TikTok ex-employee exposes app's censorship issues in viral tweet exchange.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Going along with this trend, one former employee of the company decided it was time to spill secrets on X (formerly Twitter) on his account @armankhon. He tweeted “I quit my $330k engineering job at TikTok. Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban. Ask Me Anything,” and soon questions started flowing in.

    As promised, the man started answering them. That’s what today’s list is made up of – the questions and his answers to them. They reveal various sides of the app itself and its future, from what kind of content was the most famous to what the planned ban means for it and American society as a whole. Check it out yourself; the answers are both fun and informative. 

    #13

    Text conversation about shadow bans on social media, implying TikTok secrets revealed by former employee.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #15

    Tweet exchange discussing TikTok's past positive atmosphere and current issues.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST

    There were attempts to stop the ban from happening, but they ended up being fruitless. Or people were led to believe so. The ban happened on the day it was promised, but it didn’t last long – only about 12 hours. As people from other places in the world joked, they barely had any time to properly start enjoying the platform without Americans before they came back.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    So, now all the spilled secrets are basically for nothing, since the app is running just as well as it always did. Unless another ban is in the works. Or something else, like its purchase, which is guaranteed to change things up. 

    What’s your take on the TikTok ban controversy? Share with us in the comments!

    #16

    Tweet exchange discussing TikTok's algorithm differences between US and China versions, mentioning government regimes.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #17

    Tweet discussing TikTok's secrets and censorship stance on banning by U.S. politicians.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #18

    Tweets discussing TikTok secrets and government power in online debate on app bans.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #20

    Two tweets discussing data collection, hinting at TikTok secrets and tech companies' practices.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Bernd Herbert
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again, true, but if you see the US, despite all their flaws, as on the same level as China, you are very naive and ignorant

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #21

    "Two users discussing TikTok app challenges and benefits in a series of tweets."

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #22

    Tweet discussing alleged TikTok content suppression, highlighting app's controversial practices and sparking conversation.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #23

    Tweet discussing TikTok's work environment, comparing it to Microsoft.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #24

    Former TikTok employee shares insights online about quitting before anticipated ban and severance issues.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Tom De Paul
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you work until layoff you qualify for unemployment benefits, though.

    #25

    Tweet discussing TikTok algorithm origins with comments on Chinese and US engineering contributions.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #26

    Tweet exchange discussing Bitcoin predictions and algorithm advice, highlighting app secrets and controversies.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #27

    Former TikTok employee discusses work hours on social media, revealing app secrets.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #28

    TikTok secrets discussed in a humorous Twitter exchange about the app's search engine issues.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #29

    "TikTok secrets revealed online; discussion about algorithm's superiority over big tech platforms."

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #30

    Tweet exchange speculating on White Sox game wins, mentioning data access issues.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
    Unlimited content
    Ad-free browsing
    Dark mode
    #31

    Social media exchange discussing interview preparation advice, linked to TikTok secrets.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #32

    Tweet discussing TikTok’s algorithm and possibility of an American version, adding to app's ongoing controversies.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #33

    Tweet discussing TikTok's algorithm and the challenge of replicating its success.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #34

    Tweet exchange discussing TikTok's algorithm compared to Reels and YouTube Shorts.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #35

    Tweet exchange discussing TikTok app secrets and algorithm issues related to content suggestion biases.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #36

    Tweet exchange discussing a former TikTok employee's interaction with Bytedance offices in China.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #37

    Tweet exchange discussing TikTok secrets about making money and retaining users.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #38

    Tweet discussing TikTok’s secrets and impact on engineers, mentioning job fears and global team dynamics.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #39

    Tweet exchange about TikTok's secrets being revealed, mentioning app ban and learning Mandarin.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #40

    Tweet exchange suggesting microservice architecture, possibly revealing TikTok's secrets.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #41

    Tweet exchange discussing algorithm, related to TikTok secrets spill by former employee.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #42

    TeXasLindsay and arman discussing joining XEng team on social media.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #43

    A Twitter conversation about qualifications and skills with reference to solving leetcode, related to TikTok secrets.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #44

    Tweet exchange between two users discussing their account bans on a social media platform.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #45

    Tweet exchange discussing job requirements for a former TikTok employee.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #46

    A Twitter conversation about coding experience before a job, related to TikTok's secrets.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #47

    Tweet conversation about TikTok’s algorithm control and Chinese influence.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #48

    Former employee discusses AI/ML roadmap, fueling ongoing controversy.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #49

    Two tweets discussing severance amidst TikTok's issues and possible market ban.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    #50

    Tweets discussing a former TikTok employee sharing secrets and financial issues with the app.

    armankhon Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Mark Porter
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    would love to see a layman friendly description of what the tik-tok algorythm does, and why so difficult to replicate!