TikTok Faces Major Service Disruption Over Weekend
TikTok users across multiple regions encountered significant difficulties accessing the popular social media platform during the weekend. Numerous complaints emerged regarding videos failing to load properly and users being unable to log into their accounts. The widespread technical issues affected thousands of users globally, creating frustration among the platform's massive user base.
Outage Reports Peak at Over 35,000
According to data from DownDetector, a website that monitors online service uptime, outage reports reached their highest point on January 25. The tracking service recorded more than 35,000 reports during the peak of the disruption. Detailed breakdowns revealed that approximately 65% of users experienced problems with the app not functioning correctly, while 23% reported complete service outages. Additionally, about 13% of users claimed they were facing specific issues with their TikTok feed not refreshing or displaying content properly.
TikTok's Official Response to Infrastructure Issues
TikTok has released an official statement addressing the widespread service problems. The company confirmed they are actively working to resolve what they described as a major infrastructure issue. In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok acknowledged the disruption affecting user experience.
The company explained that the problems stemmed from a power outage at one of our U.S. data center partner sites. While the network has been recovered, this initial failure triggered what TikTok called a cascading systems failure that required coordinated resolution efforts with their data center partner.
Impact on User Experience and Content Creators
TikTok detailed several specific impacts users might notice during the recovery period:
- Multiple bugs appearing within the application interface
- Slower load times for videos and content
- Timed-out requests when attempting various functions
- Difficulties when posting new content to the platform
The company specifically addressed concerns from content creators, noting they might temporarily see "0" views or likes on videos and that earnings might appear to be missing. TikTok clarified this represents a display error caused by server timeouts and reassured creators that their actual data, engagement metrics, and earnings remain safe and will be properly reflected once systems stabilize.
Timing Coincides with Major US Ownership Restructuring
This significant service disruption comes just days after TikTok finalized a landmark deal to create a new American entity, effectively avoiding the threat of a potential ban in the United States. Earlier in the week, TikTok announced that its Chinese owner, ByteDance, had reached an agreement with a group of non-Chinese investors to establish a new US-based TikTok operation.
This agreement concludes a six-year legal and political saga that saw the app facing congressional bans and becoming entangled in geopolitical tensions between global superpowers. The restructuring represents a strategic move to address national security concerns regarding potential Chinese government access to data from TikTok's more than 200 million American users.
New Ownership Structure for US Operations
The investor group for the new US TikTok venture includes several prominent entities:
- Software giant Oracle
- MGX, an Emirati investment firm
- Silver Lake, another major investment firm
- The personal investment entity for Dell founder Michael Dell
- Other investment companies including affiliates of General Atlantic and Susquehanna
Collectively, these investors will own more than 80% of the new venture, with ByteDance retaining just under 20% ownership. Under the specific arrangement, Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake will each hold 15% stakes in TikTok's US operations.
Adam Presser, TikTok's former head of operations, has been appointed as the CEO for the US TikTok entity. The majority of the seven-member board overseeing US operations will be American, according to internal communications shared with TikTok employees in December.
Shou Chew, TikTok's global CEO, described the ownership changes as "great news" in an internal memo, stating they enable "our U.S. users to continue to discover, create, and thrive as part of TikTok's vibrant global community and experience." Chew will maintain a seat on the board of the new US TikTok entity.
TikTok concluded their statement by thanking users for their patience and understanding as engineering teams work to restore the platform to full operational capacity as quickly as possible.
