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TikTok Faces Technical Woes and User Backlash Following U.S. Ownership Shift
TikTok is weathering a storm of technical difficulties and censorship allegations following the finalization of its new U.S. ownership structure last week, testing user loyalty to the popular video-sharing platform.
The company acknowledged on Monday it was grappling with a “major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage” at one of its U.S. data center partner sites. The technical breakdown caused various glitches, including creators temporarily seeing zero views on their content despite actual viewer activity, sluggish loading times, and timeout errors when attempting to post videos.
By Tuesday, TikTok reported “significant progress” in restoring services, though users continued to encounter sporadic problems while navigating the app.
Amid these technical challenges, a wave of censorship accusations has swept across the platform. Users claim TikTok is suppressing videos critical of President Donald Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or those mentioning Jeffrey Epstein. The complaints gained enough traction to prompt California Governor Gavin Newsom to announce an investigation into potential violations of state law regarding the alleged censorship of Trump-critical content.
Jamie Favazza, spokesperson for TikTok’s new U.S. joint venture, firmly denied the censorship claims, stating it is “inaccurate to say that the problems users have been encountering are anything but the technical issues we’ve transparently confirmed.”
The coincidence of technical problems with the platform’s ownership transition has not been lost on users, particularly given that some of TikTok’s new owners reportedly have connections to Trump. This perception has driven some to delete the app entirely. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported that daily average app uninstalls surged 130% from January 22-26 compared to the previous month.
However, the exodus hasn’t significantly impacted TikTok’s overall performance. Daily average users still increased by 2% during the same period, suggesting the wave of uninstalls had minimal effect on the platform’s user base. Additionally, while TikTok lagged behind YouTube and Instagram in U.S. user growth, users continued to spend more time on TikTok than on competing platforms.
Minda Smiley, a social media analyst at research firm Emarketer, contextualized the situation by noting that the ownership change is recent and TikTok is undergoing substantial infrastructure transitions, which typically cause technical disruptions. However, she warned that if video upload issues or censorship allegations persist, TikTok could face more significant challenges.
“Optics and perceptions are really important in situations like this,” Smiley explained. “Regardless of what’s actually happening, if people feel as if content is being suppressed or difficult to upload or is being moderated, that’s enough reason for many users to flee or stop using TikTok.”
Smiley also pointed out the often-observed gap between user statements and actions. Just a year ago, TikTok users briefly migrated to RedNote, a Chinese social media app, to protest a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. That movement quickly dissipated, and RedNote has since faded from American social media conversations.
Nevertheless, Smiley emphasized that prolonged issues could present substantial challenges for the platform. “If this continues and people do feel as if the algorithm is changing, the content is changing, it certainly presents a challenge for TikTok,” she concluded.
The situation highlights the delicate balance social media platforms must maintain between technical reliability, content moderation policies, and user perception – particularly during periods of significant organizational change. For TikTok, successfully navigating these waters under its new ownership structure will be crucial for retaining its prominent position in the competitive social media landscape.
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7 Comments
With the heightened scrutiny on TikTok’s content policies, the platform will need to walk a fine line between addressing legitimate concerns and avoiding overreaching censorship. Transparency around their moderation practices will be key.
Interesting to see TikTok facing technical and content moderation challenges after the ownership change. I wonder how the new management will address the glitches and censorship claims to maintain user trust.
The TikTok ownership transition seems to have unleashed a perfect storm of technical problems and content moderation controversies. Navigating this challenging period will test the new leadership’s agility and commitment to transparency.
The California investigation into TikTok’s content moderation practices is an interesting development. It will be important for the platform to demonstrate that any restrictions on user content are fair and justified, not politically motivated.
The power outage issues and censorship allegations raise some red flags about TikTok’s infrastructure and transparency under the new U.S. ownership. It will be crucial for the platform to resolve these problems quickly to retain its user base.
This ownership transition for TikTok seems to be a bumpy one so far. Technical glitches and censorship claims could really undermine user confidence if not resolved promptly. I hope the new management can stabilize the platform.
With growing concerns over TikTok’s infrastructure and censorship issues, the new U.S. owners will need to act quickly to shore up the platform’s reliability and credibility. Missteps could drive users to competing apps.