US TikTok owners have confirmed that a data center power outage was the cause of widespread errors and disruptions to the app during its first weekend under new US control. The glitch, which started on Sunday morning, affected many users' ability to log in, upload videos, and access comments.
The TikTok USDS Joint Venture - a partnership between ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, and US companies - initially said it was working to restore services. However, some users continued to experience issues, including problems with content on For You pages and generic messages flooding the app.
Conspiracy theories emerged online, suggesting that the glitch was part of an effort to censor left-leaning or progressive content. However, there is no evidence to support these claims.
The power outage has also raised concerns about data collection under US ownership. TikTok asked users in the US to agree to new terms of service and a privacy policy that allows for more precise location data to be collected. The app now stores metadata on AI interactions, which can help identify specific accounts and trace back inputs.
TikTok's retraining of its algorithm has also raised fears about changes to content moderation policies under new ownership. Donald Trump-backed right-wing owners have promised to make the app "100 percent MAGA," sparking concerns that conservative or right-wing content may become more prevalent, while leftist content is suppressed.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by social media companies as they navigate changing regulatory environments and shifting user expectations.
The TikTok USDS Joint Venture - a partnership between ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, and US companies - initially said it was working to restore services. However, some users continued to experience issues, including problems with content on For You pages and generic messages flooding the app.
Conspiracy theories emerged online, suggesting that the glitch was part of an effort to censor left-leaning or progressive content. However, there is no evidence to support these claims.
The power outage has also raised concerns about data collection under US ownership. TikTok asked users in the US to agree to new terms of service and a privacy policy that allows for more precise location data to be collected. The app now stores metadata on AI interactions, which can help identify specific accounts and trace back inputs.
TikTok's retraining of its algorithm has also raised fears about changes to content moderation policies under new ownership. Donald Trump-backed right-wing owners have promised to make the app "100 percent MAGA," sparking concerns that conservative or right-wing content may become more prevalent, while leftist content is suppressed.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by social media companies as they navigate changing regulatory environments and shifting user expectations.
. I mean, have you seen how fragile our digital infrastructure is? One little glitch like that can bring down a whole app 
. And now, with TikTok under new US control, it's like the world is holding its breath waiting to see what happens next 
. The conspiracy theories are just wild 
. I'm not saying there aren't some concerns about data collection and censorship, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet 
. It's good that TikTok is being transparent about their changes to the app, even if it's a bit of a mess right now 
. Social media companies are at a crossroads, for sure. They need to balance user expectations with regulatory requirements, all while trying to stay ahead of the curve 
. Fingers crossed they can figure it out without causing too much chaos 
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i mean i know some ppl think it's all about censoring left wing content but like where's the evidence lol? 
anyway i'm super concerned about the data collection and algorithm changes now that tiktok is under us control 
it's like they're collecting even more info on us than before and now they can track our online activities 
so yeah let's keep an eye on this 
i mean i get it, people love to speculate, but let's not jump to conclusions here. the thing is, we're living in a time where social media companies have so much power and influence, and they need to be held accountable for how they use that power.
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US owners confirmed that power outage was the issue lol how did it even happen in the first place? and now theres all these conspiracy theories about censorship idk wut to believe 
anyway, data collection is probs gonna be a big deal now... like, more precise location data and metadata on AI interactions? that sounds super sketchy 
i mean, i feel bad for all the users who were affected by the glitch but like, cant we just get our app to work properly for once? 
like, tiktoks asking us to agree to new terms of service and stuff... its getting kinda too much for my taste 
... but at the same time, if tiktok is gonna be owned by a bunch of trump-backing folks, maybe some changes are inevitable... ugh, social media companies are always so caught in this vortex... 
. and now the new terms of service are out... im a bit concerned about my personal info being collected