TikTok’s U.S. Transition: Early Outages Spark User Concerns
TikTok has recently completed the transition of its U.S. operations to a new entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, which is predominantly American-owned. This move was anticipated to alleviate regulatory pressures and enhance user trust. However, shortly after the transition, numerous U.S. users began experiencing significant issues with the app, leading to concerns about its stability and content moderation practices.
User-Reported Issues Post-Transition
Over the weekend following the transition, a substantial number of users encountered difficulties while using TikTok. Common problems included:
– Inability to upload videos
– Unusually low views and engagement on posts
– Content being placed in review queues without clear explanations
– Notifications stating content was “Ineligible for Recommendation”
– Temporary account suspensions
Notably, many of the affected videos addressed sensitive topics such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and the recent shooting incident in Minneapolis. This pattern has led to apprehensions about potential censorship and the platform’s content moderation policies.
TikTok’s Response: Data Center Outage
In response to the widespread issues, TikTok attributed the disruptions to a power outage at one of its U.S. data centers, which resulted in a “cascading systems failure.” The company acknowledged that this incident caused several bugs across the platform, leading to:
– Slower loading times
– Requests timing out
– Videos displaying zero views or likes
– Challenges in uploading new content
TikTok has assured users that efforts are underway to fully restore normal service and address these technical issues promptly.
User Reactions and Exploration of Alternatives
The recent outages and concerns over content moderation have prompted some users to explore alternative platforms. For instance, UpScrolled, a short video app, experienced a surge in popularity, briefly reaching the second position on the U.S. App Store’s free apps list before stabilizing at a lower rank.
Additionally, users have raised questions about TikTok’s updated privacy policy, which now includes the collection of “citizenship or immigration status” and precise location data. TikTok has clarified that similar language was present in earlier versions of the policy, aiming to address user concerns regarding data privacy.
Insights into the New U.S. TikTok Entity
The establishment of TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC marks a significant shift in the platform’s U.S. operations. The ownership structure is as follows:
– 80.1% owned by U.S. and global investors
– Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each holding a 15% stake as managing investors
– ByteDance retaining a 19.9% stake
A seven-member board, with a majority of American members, oversees the U.S. operations. Adam Presser, formerly TikTok’s global head of operations, has been appointed as the CEO. The new entity is responsible for U.S. data protection, content moderation, and algorithm security, with the recommendation system hosted on Oracle’s cloud infrastructure.
While the transition to U.S. ownership was intended to mitigate regulatory concerns, the initial technical challenges have led to a rocky start. TikTok has emphasized that restoring stability is a top priority as it works to resolve the remaining issues and rebuild user confidence.
