TikTok’s U.S. Data Center Outage Sparks User Concerns Amid Ownership Transition
In the wake of a significant winter storm that swept across the United States, TikTok users encountered widespread disruptions on the platform. These issues, which began on Sunday, included difficulties loading comments, irregularities with the For You page algorithm, and challenges in uploading videos. The timing of these glitches coincided with TikTok’s recent transition to a U.S.-based ownership structure, leading to speculation about potential underlying causes.
TikTok’s U.S. Data Security (USDS) Joint Venture addressed these concerns, attributing the disruptions to a power outage at a U.S. data center. In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the company stated:
Since yesterday we’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate. We’re working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We’re sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.
This explanation aligns with reports from Downdetector, which indicated a surge in user-reported issues across the country during the same period.
The recent ownership transition of TikTok’s U.S. operations adds context to these events. Under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), enacted in April 2024, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, was mandated to divest its U.S. operations to address national security concerns. This led to the formation of the TikTok USDS Joint Venture, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake of less than 20%, and U.S.-based investors such as Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each holding 15%.
The proximity of the service disruptions to the establishment of the new ownership structure has fueled user speculation. Some users questioned whether the glitches were related to the transition or if they were indicative of potential censorship, especially given concurrent events such as the protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These protests, sparked by the deployment of thousands of ICE agents and the subsequent shooting of Alex Pretti, have been a focal point of national attention. Users reported difficulties accessing content related to these events on TikTok, leading to concerns about information suppression.
However, TikTok has maintained that the service issues were solely due to the data center power outage and are unrelated to content moderation or censorship. The company emphasized its commitment to restoring full functionality and ensuring a stable user experience.
In addition to the technical issues, TikTok’s updated privacy policy has also come under scrutiny. The revised policy includes provisions for collecting data on users’ sexual orientation, gender identity, and immigration status. While some of these disclosures were present in previous versions of the policy, their inclusion has raised questions about user privacy and data security, especially in light of the platform’s recent ownership changes.
As TikTok works to resolve the technical issues stemming from the data center outage, the company faces the challenge of rebuilding user trust. The combination of service disruptions, ownership transitions, and privacy concerns underscores the complexities of operating a global social media platform amid evolving regulatory and geopolitical landscapes.
Users are encouraged to stay informed through official TikTok channels for updates on service restoration and to review the platform’s privacy policy to understand how their data is being used.
