'I need my girlfriend off TikTok': How hackers game abuse-reporting systems

As with many social media platforms, TikTok relies on users to report content they think violates the platform's rules. — Dreamstime/TNS

One hundred and forty-seven dollar signs fill the opening lines of the computer program. Rendered in an icy blue against a matte black background, each "$" has been carefully placed so that, all together, they spell out a name: "H4xton."

It's a signature of sorts, and not a subtle one. Actual code doesn't show up until a third of the way down the screen.