Why did TikTok’s first week under American ownership go so wrong?

Only a week ago, TikTok landed on American soil with its newfound status as an “American-owned” company. Since then, the video-sharing app has been struggling to keep its head above water, beset by technology glitches, political scandals, and the swift loss of public trust.

What was supposed to be a new beginning for one of the world’s most popular apps has instead become a textbook example of how quickly digital services can fall out of favor when technology, politics, and public distrust come into play.

How Did TikTok’s US Transition Begin?

The stormy takeover of TikTok started on January 22, when its parent company in China, ByteDance, completed a deal to sell the app to a group of US investors. Among them was Oracle, the giant software company founded by billionaire Larry Ellison, a generous donor to Donald Trump and the Maga movement.

TikTok had reached more than one billion users worldwide under ByteDance’s ownership, disrupting the social media scene and threatening competitors like Instagram. However, the beginning of its new life in the US has been anything but smooth.

Why Did TikTok Change Its Privacy Policy So Quickly?

Just one day after the change in ownership, TikTok updated its privacy policy to enable the collection of even more detailed data, including the users’ exact location.

Although such policies are in place on other popular social media sites, the timing of the update sparked concern. It was not just a question of privacy but also trust: what would the new owners of TikTok do with this information? Suspicion was heightened by the political affiliations of the new owners of the app, especially Ellison’s links to Trump.

What Happened During a Week of National Crises?

The scandal continued to brew during a weekend that saw the United States rocked by two significant shocks.

First, a bad winter storm left a significant portion of the country in the grip of freezing temperatures, threatening some 230 million people with power failures.

Meanwhile, federal immigration authorities shot dead 37-year-old US citizen Alex Pretti during a protest in Minneapolis, an incident that sparked widespread outrage and claims of official deceit despite overwhelming video evidence. These two incidents would soon become intertwined with TikTok.

Did Weather-Related Outages Cripple the Platform?

According to TikTok and Oracle, Winter Storm Fern knocked out multiple Oracle datacenters that TikTok relies on—information the company did not initially disclose.

The resulting outages left many users unable to upload videos. Others reported that their content received zero views, even when posted by creators with large followings.

Oracle later confirmed the cause, stating:

“Over the weekend, an Oracle datacenter experienced a temporary weather-related power outage which impacted TikTok.”

While rare, such disruptions can occur. Still, users questioned why a platform of TikTok’s size lacked sufficient redundancy to prevent widespread failures.

Why Were Users Accusing TikTok of Political Censorship?

As technical issues mounted, public figures turned to TikTok to voice outrage over Pretti’s killing—only to find themselves silenced.

High-profile users including California state senator Scott Wiener, Billie Eilish and her brother, and comedian Meg Stalter said their videos either could not be posted or received no views. Stalter announced plans to delete her account, which had nearly 280,000 followers.

Media outlets across the political spectrum amplified the claims, with headlines asking whether TikTok was censoring criticism of federal immigration authorities. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut called the alleged censorship a “threat to democracy.”

Why Did TikTok’s Response Fall Flat?

After several days of mounting backlash, TikTok issued a statement on January 26, attributing the disruptions to snow, ice, and cold.

The delayed explanation failed to calm critics. The lack of transparency during the critical early days of the crisis allowed suspicions of deliberate suppression to harden.

Why Did the California Governor Step In?

The controversy escalated further when California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on January 27 that his office would investigate whether TikTok censored content critical of Donald Trump.

Although Newsom is not a prolific TikTok user, his intervention elevated the issue from a social media dispute to a matter of state-level scrutiny, reinforcing perceptions that TikTok’s problems were political, not merely technical.

Is TikTok Facing an Early User Exodus?

Perceived censorship and declining trust prompted many users to abandon the platform.

The beneficiary has been Upscrolled, a rival app promising minimal censorship. Within days, Upscrolled surged to No. 1 in the US Apple App Store and No. 3 on Google Play, claiming over one million users.

Notably, three of the top 10 downloaded apps were virtual private networks (VPNs)—tools designed to shield online activity from surveillance—highlighting growing public anxiety about digital oversight.

Meanwhile, TikTok fell to No. 16 on Apple’s App Store and No. 10 on Google Play.

Can TikTok Recover From This Start?

With more than a billion users worldwide, TikTok is unlikely to disappear entirely. Rival platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have survived far more severe scandals.

Yet TikTok’s US debut under American ownership has inflicted real damage. User trust—hard to build and easy to lose—has been shaken, and another major misstep could have longer-lasting consequences.

How Did Trump’s Policies Shape This Moment?

TikTok’s troubled week cannot be separated from Donald Trump’s long-standing campaign against the app.

The ownership transfer completed the ban-or-sell ultimatum Trump first proposed nearly six years ago. While Trump later wavered in his support, Congress ultimately codified the policy, and the US Supreme Court upheld the law despite widespread public opposition.

Trump also ordered the immigration crackdown that preceded the Minneapolis killing—making him a central figure in nearly every aspect of TikTok’s disastrous week, except for the winter storm itself.

A Familiar Pattern of Disruption

TikTok’s chaotic arrival under US ownership coincides with a grim anniversary. Just over a year ago, the app briefly went dark in the United States due to the same sell-or-ban law that forced its sale.

That outage lasted less than 24 hours. TikTok’s new owners can only hope this latest crisis fades just as quickly—before distrust hardens into permanent abandonment.