Former TikTok moderator answers burning questions surrounding censorship & moderation on platform

A self-claimed former TikTok moderator sparked widespread discussion this week after hosting an impromptu Q&A on Reddit to address user frustrations around content bans, shadow-banning, and the platform’s often mysterious moderation policies. The thread, titled “I’m a former TikTok moderator. I can tell you why your video got banned or suppressed. AMA,” drew hundreds of questions from creators seeking clarity on why their content was flagged — and how to avoid it.

The moderator, using the username BurnerBoyBigBarry, emphasized their goal was to explain TikTok’s policies “based on policy, not how I feel or view the situation.” They added that rules are “specific and vague at the same time,” leaving many creators confused. Here’s what they revealed.

Content policies: Twerking, kids, and “educational purposes”

The moderator outlined several common reasons videos get flagged, starting with twerking. They explained it’s not just about the dance itself but context and screen time.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
When it comes to twerking it’s all about 2 things. What is the intent? If your are dancing in a club for a sec your good. Are you trying to get people ‘worked up’ then that context may make it flag worthy. How much of the video is twerking? If it’s over half the length of the video you will be tagged.

Other quick triggers include filming while driving (“DO NOT look at the camera”), showing cigarettes or vapes. The moderator also debunked the myth that adding “for educational purposes” shields controversial content.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Putting it before a H.tler speech won’t work. You would have to narrate counter speech or add counter speech on screen denouncing H.tler.

Another major concern that got highlighted was surrounding having children appear in videos.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Having kids in videos can get them banned. If there is a child and no adult appears on screen you can be flagged. We guess how old you are. If we’re are unsure if you’re over 13 your video will likely get flagged.

Election misinformation and the “Stolen” rule

One user asked why a comment referencing Trump and the January 6 committee received three strikes. The moderator suggested overzealous flagging by human reviewers.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
They saw j6, interference, trump, and 2020 and hit it with election misinformation out of reflex.

They confirmed TikTok automatically flags phrases like “rigged” or “stolen” in election contexts, regardless of sources cited.

Algorithm reset after shutdown

Many users complained their “For You” pages (FYP) became unusable after TikTok’s brief ban in the US. The moderator admitted the algorithm “got reset” and shared tips to retrain it.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Like, leave any comment, then click share and do copy link. Should push it in the right direction. Policies may change what is now ‘shadow banned’ or throttled. I can learn a new policy and it may change by the time I return the next day.

Hit not interested on everything you don’t like. Make sure you pause it to not watch in completely. Don’t comment at all.

Impersonation and “biased” mods

A few creators, including one with 286k followers, expressed frustration over impersonators scamming their audience. The moderator acknowledged reporting scams is notoriously difficult.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Some of the AI videos can however be tagged for “Scams” if they are directing you to another site to buy something. Or asking you to download something to get something for free.

Another user accused moderators of bias, claiming they suppress creators personally. A different alleged moderator, denisaki07, countered:

denisaki07:
When you flag a video, it doesnt mean that particular video gets deleted. It goes to another moderator and then from all the videos QA team checks them.

Controversial content: Hitler speeches and Luigi’s ban

Users questioned why translated Hitler speeches with dramatic music trended unchecked. The moderator explained new trends often slip through until training updates occur.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Once it’s prevalent enough we will have a training for it so we know to look out for it. If you keep reporting them it does actually help us find trends.

Meanwhile, Luigi-themed content faced sudden suppression. The moderator revealed the character was added to a “Designated Hate Entity” list.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
If anything related to him is in a video WITHOUT counter speech will be taken down. That includes merch. If you wear a shirt with his catch phrase on it I have to take it down.

Swearing in music videos

One music creator asked if they need to consider swear words in their OG music videos before uploading to TikTok. Here’s what the mod replied with:

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Most are fine. However I have a slur list with over 2000 slurs. I would need some specifics but swearing normally fine. Just not hate speech. Or bullying. Music normally as an EDSA exception unless it contains hate speech or hateful ideology (n*zi stuff mainly)

Human moderators vs. AI

Despite TikTok’s reliance on AI, the moderator confirmed humans review flagged content — but admitted inconsistencies.

BurnerBoyBigBarry:
Not every moderator has good reading comprehension. If you say ‘what he did was wrong’ it has to come across as the point of the video basically.

Conclusion

We can’t say for sure if BurnerBoyBigBarry ever actually worked for TikTok. But the details they shared — down to how long a twerk clip can be or why vaping gets your views throttled — match up with what creators have complained about for years. Whether it’s dancing, politics, or even random stuff like Luigi merch, their explanations hit on the same headaches users face: policies that feel both hyper-specific and ambiguous at the same time.

Another user in the thread pointed out that most content moderators aren’t even TikTok employees — they’re contractors bound by strict NDAs. That could explain why BurnerBoyBigBarry dodged verifying their identity. Either way, the advice they gave isn’t groundbreaking. It’s common sense dressed up as insider secrets: Assume everything you post gets scanned by bots and humans. Avoid obvious trigger words. And no, slapping “for educational purposes” on your Hitler meme won’t save it.

The bigger takeaway? Platforms like TikTok aren’t just battling trolls or bad actors anymore. They’re juggling governments demanding stricter rules, creators fighting for views, and users who just want to post without getting banned. BurnerBoyBigBarry’s AMA — real or not — shines a light on the same old problem: making content online means playing a game where the rules keep changing, and nobody ever fully explains them.