TikTok has been malfunctioning for U.S. users since Sunday, and the platform’s newly appointed American owners have now confirmed what caused the disruption: a power failure at a U.S.-based data center.
On Monday morning, the TikTok USDS Joint Venture addressed the issue in a post on X, stating, “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.”
By Monday night, service had still not fully returned to normal. TikTok USDS issued another update cautioning users to expect “bugs, slower load times, or timed-out requests, including when posting new content.” The post also directly responded to creator complaints about videos receiving “0 views” and missing earnings, assuring users that the problem was temporary and that “your actual data and engagement are safe.”
TikTok USDS later clarified, “We’re continuing to resolve a major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage at one of our U.S. data center partner sites. While the network has been recovered, the outage caused a cascading systems failure that we’ve been working toward resolving.”
Outage tracking site DownDetector showed reports beginning early Sunday morning, with most issues appearing to ease by early Monday. However, The Verge noted that many U.S. users were still encountering problems, such as difficulty logging in, lengthy upload delays, generic content overtaking For You pages, trouble viewing comments, and other technical glitches.
While TikTok USDS continues efforts to fix the outage-related problems, its silence during the app’s unstable first weekend under the leadership of right-wing U.S. owners selected by Donald Trump fueled conspiracy theories online. Some users speculated that the platform had started suppressing left-leaning content.
As service gradually returns, users have also noticed changes in TikTok’s data practices under U.S. control. According to Wired, TikTok prompted U.S. users to accept updated terms of service and a revised privacy policy that permits the collection of more detailed user information, including precise location data.
“Before this update, the app did not collect the precise, GPS-derived location data of U.S. users,” Wired reported. “Now, if you give TikTok permission to use your phone’s location services, the app may collect granular details about your exact location.”
The updated policies also require users to consent to sharing all AI-related interactions, allowing TikTok to retain metadata and link AI inputs directly to individual accounts.
With the app already appearing more intrusive and unstable, many users are questioning how much TikTok will change under its new ownership, especially as the TikTok USDS Joint Venture moves forward with retraining the platform’s algorithm.
Trump has previously said he wants TikTok to be “100 percent MAGA,” intensifying concerns that For You pages could soon be dominated by right-wing content or that leftist material—such as criticism of ICE—could be limited. Additionally, The Information reported in July that migrating millions of users to a U.S.-trained version of the app is expected to result in further technical complications.
