On October 3, 2025, the usually bustling headquarters of TikTok in Culver City, California, fell eerily silent as employees evacuated the Bristol Parkway offices. The cause? A series of chilling threats made against the company and its staff, delivered via social media and traced to a 33-year-old man named Joseph Mayuyo from Hawthorne. According to the Los Angeles Times, the threats were serious enough to prompt an immediate response from both TikTok’s internal security and the Culver City Police Department, who coordinated the evacuation "out of an abundance of caution."
The events unfolded rapidly. As Business Insider reported, TikTok employees began receiving multiple threats across various social media platforms on Friday. The messages, described by one employee as "really scary," were alarming enough that security officials at TikTok decided not to take any chances. Another staff member expressed particular concern that the threats seemed to target the e-commerce department specifically, raising the stakes for those working in that division.
Police quickly traced the origin of the threats to Joseph Mayuyo. By Saturday, October 4, officers converged on his Hawthorne residence, but the situation escalated further. During their investigation, Mayuyo allegedly posted additional threatening statements online, including a particularly disturbing declaration that he "would not be taken alive," according to a press release from the Culver City Police Department cited by TechCrunch. The tension was palpable, and the stakes could not have been higher for both law enforcement and the local community.
Detectives, now armed with search and arrest warrants, began a tense standoff with Mayuyo. Crisis negotiators spent 90 minutes in conversation with him, working diligently to deescalate the situation. Ultimately, their efforts paid off—Mayuyo voluntarily exited his home and surrendered to police without further incident. He was subsequently booked on a charge of making criminal threats, as confirmed by multiple outlets.
The aftermath of Mayuyo’s arrest left more questions than answers. While police did not clarify whether Mayuyo had any prior connection to TikTok or its employees, his digital footprint offered some clues. According to Business Insider, Mayuyo’s X account (formerly Twitter) was suspended for violating the platform’s hateful content policy. Furthermore, a Medium account linked to his name had published a post in July 2025, in which he sharply criticized TikTokShop USA, labeling it a "scam." These online activities painted a picture of a man with grievances against the company, though authorities have not confirmed any direct relationship between Mayuyo and TikTok beyond his public posts.
The swift and coordinated response by TikTok’s security team drew praise from the Culver City Police Department. In their press release, the department commended TikTok’s security for their "quick action, collaboration, and professionalism throughout this case." Their decisive actions likely prevented a potentially volatile situation from spiraling further out of control.
For employees, however, the experience was harrowing. The notion that threats could specifically target certain departments within the company added a layer of vulnerability. As one employee told Business Insider, the threats were "really scary," a sentiment echoed by many working in the tech industry, where online threats have become an unfortunate reality of modern corporate life.
It’s worth noting that these events unfolded against a backdrop of significant change for TikTok in the United States. As TechCrunch highlighted, the arrest coincided with the company’s U.S. operations being spun out from its Chinese parent, ByteDance. President Donald Trump, who has been vocal about concerns regarding TikTok’s ownership and data security, recently signed an executive order approving the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to a new joint venture with an American-led board of directors. The timing of the threats and the subsequent arrest has added another layer of complexity to an already tumultuous period for the company.
The intersection of online threats, social media policy, and corporate security has become a growing concern in recent years. Platforms like X have established strict guidelines against hateful content, leading to the suspension of accounts like Mayuyo’s when violations occur. Meanwhile, companies such as TikTok have invested heavily in security and crisis management, knowing that a single incident can have far-reaching consequences for both employee safety and public perception.
While the investigation into Mayuyo’s motives continues, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the real-world risks posed by digital threats. The fact that a social media post could trigger the evacuation of a major tech company’s headquarters underscores the seriousness with which such messages are now treated by both corporations and law enforcement. As the Los Angeles Times noted, it remains unclear whether Mayuyo had any deeper connection to TikTok or if his actions were those of a disgruntled outsider. What is clear, however, is that the rapid response by both TikTok’s security and the Culver City Police Department helped avert a potentially dangerous outcome.
For TikTok, the incident comes at a pivotal moment. The company is navigating a complex transition in the U.S. market, facing regulatory scrutiny, shifting ownership structures, and now, the very real threat of violence against its workforce. The ability to respond effectively to crises—whether they originate online or off—has become a defining challenge for tech companies operating in today’s volatile environment.
As for the employees who returned to work after the evacuation, the experience is likely to linger. The knowledge that a single online threat could disrupt their daily routines and put their safety at risk is a sobering reality. Yet, as the swift actions of all involved demonstrated, vigilance and preparedness can make all the difference when the unexpected happens.
The story of the TikTok threat and subsequent arrest is a microcosm of the broader challenges facing tech firms in the digital age—a world where the boundaries between online and offline security are increasingly blurred, and where the stakes for getting it right have never been higher.
