TikTok Causes Widespread Upload Outages Hours After U.S. Ownership Transition

Hours after TikTok’s U.S. operations were formally split into the TikTok U.S. Data Security (USDS) Joint Venture, users and creators reported widespread upload outages and disruptions that compounded a surge in app deletions and mistrust.

“TikTok users have been deleting theappat a higher rate since the company announced that itsU”

CNBC

Sensor Tower–cited data showed daily U.S. deletions rose roughly 150% in the days after the Jan. 22 split, while Downdetector logged more than 35,000 outage reports on Jan. 24–25; the new USDS unit attributed at least some disruptions to a U.S. data-center power failure as TikTok and rivals scrambled to restore services.

CNBC

The transfer of ownership and the immediate technical issues occurred against a backdrop of high-profile creator departures and accusations of politically motivated moderation that TikTok denies and the White House also rejected.

TikTok and a newly formed U.S. unit publicly attributed upload outages to infrastructure problems tied to a U.S. data center, while smaller affected platforms described active mitigation and coordination with data-center partners.

TikTok's USDS reportedly blamed a power failure at a U.S. data center for the disruptions, and competing apps such as Skylight said they were working with the same data-center partner to restore and stabilize service.

Eudaimonia and Co

At the same time, some reporting notes that other platforms have offered similar technical explanations during past controversy cycles, reminding readers that moderation complaints can sometimes stem from outages or delays rather than deliberate suppression.

Privacy-policy revisions and clearer language on sensitive data collection amplified user concerns at the same moment the ownership change took place.

“SinceTikTok secured its U”

PetaPixel

Reporting from Eudaimonia and Co and 아시아경제 highlights identical categories added to the updated privacy text - racial or ethnic origin, sexual life/orientation, citizenship/immigration status, and financial details.

Those reports also note the app began requesting optional precise location access via GPS, Wi‑Fi and cell towers.

According to those accounts, the company insists the overall scope of data collection hasn't changed and that location access is opt-in.

The presence of the new language, and the timing of the disclosure just as the U.S. unit was being spun out, is presented by some outlets as a driver of heightened distrust.

The outages and policy changes produced a swift marketplace response, with rival apps and indie alternatives recording significant traffic and download gains as users sought platforms perceived as more independent or transparent.

Eudaimonia and Co reports that UpScrolled’s U.S. downloads jumped more than tenfold and that Skylight Social and Rednote also rose.

PiunikaWeb

ProPakistani gives specific engagement metrics for Skylight: returning users +50%, average videos played +40%, and posts created +100%.

However, coverage diverges on whether overall usage fell, as 아시아경제 notes that despite spikes in deletions, broader usage and active-user numbers were largely steady, suggesting a more nuanced impact on day-to-day engagement than headline uninstall figures imply.

Available reporting leaves ambiguous the full technical timeline and any definitive link between content-specific moderation claims and the outages.

“Skylight, a short-form video app built on open source technology, is seeing a sharp rise in users following concerns surrounding TikTok US’s recent ownership changes”

ProPakistani

Some creators alleged that posts about a fatal ICE shooting received unusually low views or delays, which fuels suspicions of censorship.

ProPakistani

Outlets and officials cited technical causes and past precedent for similar patterns on other platforms.

Several provided source snippets are incomplete or request more material (Tom’s Guide, WebProNews, CNBC), limiting the ability to resolve fine-grained disputes.

Based on available reporting, the coverage consistently documents outages, privacy-policy changes, and marketplace shifts but leaves open questions about causal chains linking policy wording, alleged suppression, and the short technical failure.