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Recently, content creator “Top‑Performer Boss Li” made headlines for issuing an apology.
Source: Screenshot from Weibo
Wait — isn’t this the same influencer who ranted months ago against the “shake‑to‑jump” ads in navigation apps, linking them to driving safety hazards?
Yes, exactly.
On September 22, Top‑Performer Boss Li released a video stating that all his accounts across other online platforms had been suspended. He acknowledged that as a public figure, he should not have spoken out without verifying facts, and apologized to brands and businesses affected by his remarks.
However, there is no clear official public statement explaining the exact reasons for the suspensions, which rules he violated, or whether the navigation‑ad incident directly caused the bans. Real‑world checks by Leikeji show his Douyin account is now accessible for follows.
The navigation‑ad controversy dates back to June this year. Back then, Boss Li posted a video recounting a driving incident. According to him, he was driving in heavy rain, approaching a highway ramp to exit. He activated his phone assistant via voice command to open his navigation app.
Once the navigation app launched, a splash‑screen ad popped up. The car hit a bump; the phone registered movement that triggered the “shake” function built into the ad. The ad activated instantly, redirecting him to a third‑party e‑commerce platform.
Under ordinary circumstances, an unexpected pop‑up ad is merely annoying. But driving is different — especially in heavy rain while preparing to merge off a highway, when drivers need full focus on road conditions. Suddenly the navigation screen vanished, replaced by a shopping app. The driver then has to manually switch back. This is far more than just an irritating advertisement.
Source: Screenshot from Weibo
The video quickly sparked massive online discussion. Many users shared the same sentiment: splash‑screen ads are tolerable, but uncontrolled redirects are not.
Navigation apps differ from regular applications. People open them mostly to travel, find directions, or check routes on the go. Having ads block the screen right after launch, or being whisked away to other apps from minor car jolts, creates a genuinely poor user experience.
Under normal circumstances, encountering an unexpected ad upon opening an app might merely feel annoying.
Had events ended there, it would have been nothing more than a viral rant from a moderately famous creator.
So when the navigation interface suddenly vanished and the phone screen switched to an online shopping platform instead, the issue escalated well beyond mere annoyance.
Getting the navigation interface back required manual intervention—transforming the problem from “irritating ad” into a genuine safety concern.
This video quickly ignited widespread online discussion. Because many users shared the same sentiment: “Splash-screen ads? Fine—but don’t jump away without warning!”
Navigation apps differ fundamentally from ordinary apps. Users open them primarily to reach destinations, find routes, or check directions on the fly.
If the app is immediately obstructed by an ad—or worse, automatically redirects to a third-party platform due to minor vehicle vibrations—it inevitably delivers a frustrating, potentially hazardous user experience.
Had the story ended there, it would’ve remained little more than a mildly viral complaint post by a relatively well-known blogger.
Yet, by mid-to-late June, a curious phenomenon emerged: Many netizens suddenly noticed—why had those long-annoying splash-screen ads disappeared?
Frequently used apps launched cleanly, with no intrusive ads.
This sparked an intriguing online debate: Did the blogger’s video somehow trigger a collective removal of splash-screen ads across the industry?
Xiao Lei BIBI (ID: xiaoleibbb) believes it’s premature to draw a direct causal link between these two events.
In today’s traffic-driven digital ecosystem, influencers with millions of followers wield considerable sway.
Source: Screenshot from Douyin
Using overly sensational language to steer public opinion—before facts and details have been thoroughly verified—can easily cause collateral damage, inflicting serious harm on businesses and brands.
His wording may have been noncompliant; his specifics, perhaps imprecise—but his core message was valid.
Displaying ads during driving—and enabling automatic redirection to other apps due to minor vehicle jolts—is inherently absurd and profoundly disrespectful of human life and safety.
“Shake-to-activate” ads have drawn user backlash for years—so why have they persisted despite repeated bans? Because some vendors simply refuse to forgo the lucrative click-and-redirection revenue share…
To conclude:
We urge companies to understand: A blogger’s apology and the subsequent cooling of public discourse do not entitle you to quietly reintroduce those recently removed splash-screen ads with disruptive redirects.
Have you ever encountered splash-screen ads while using navigation apps? What are your thoughts—or complaints—about them? Feel free to share in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you.
