Why TikTok’s first week of American ownership was a disaster | TikTok
A little over a week ago, TikTok stepped onto US shores as a naturalized citizen. Since then, the video app has been fighting for its life.
TikTok’s fateful exodus began on January 22, when its Chinese parent company ByteDance finalized a deal to sell the app to a group of US investors, including business software giant Oracle. The app’s period of Chinese ownership was marked by a meteoric rise to more than a billion users, making established companies like Instagram look like the next Myspace. However, TikTok’s short new life in the US was not auspicious.
The day after TikTok’s arrival, its owners changed its privacy policy to allow more comprehensive data collection, including tracking the precise locations of its users. The change was notable for raising suspicion on the part of the new owners rather than for any invasion of privacy. The updated policy is in line with the policies of other major social networks. So what were these guys, including Oracle billionaire owner and Maga donor Larry Ellison, planning to do with user data? The tweaks aroused suspicions that would turn into paranoia a few days later.
In the weekend following the transfer of ownership of TikTok, the USA encountered two major events. A severe, freezing snowstorm has hit the country, putting nearly 230 million people on alert for power outages and burst pipes. And federal immigration officers killed a 37-year-old U.S. citizen during a protest in Minneapolis; This resulted in the White House blatantly lying despite ample video footage. Both will sweep TikTok off its feet, albeit in different ways.
Winter Storm Fern paralyzed multiple Oracle data centers that TikTok relied on, which the company did not publicly disclose at the time. According to the statement made by the company, as a result, there were serious interruptions in the application. Many users said they were unable to upload videos. Others said their videos received zero views despite significant followings.
Simultaneously, prominent figures were attempting to use TikTok to express their outrage over the brutal murder of Alex Pretti at the hands and weapons of border patrol agents. They realized they couldn’t post videos or were getting zero views. In response, many users, including California state senator Scott Weiner, musician Billie Eilish and her brother, and comedians, Meg Stalter – Accused TikTok of blocking videos criticizing federal immigration officials. Stalter said he would delete his account, which has approximately 280,000 followers. Large media outlets such as the New York Times, Variety, Independent, CNN and Washington Post covered his claims. Cosmopolitan magazine asked: “Does TikTok Censor Anti-ICE Content?” said Democratic senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. he tweeted TikTok’s alleged censorship is a “threat to democracy,” it said.
After days of online backlash, IRL scrutiny, and probably dozens of requests for clarification from the press, TikTok released a release. expression The snow, ice and cold on January 26 are blamed for the problems.
Oracle released a more detailed statement: “Over the weekend, an Oracle data center experienced a temporary weather-related power outage impacting TikTok. Any difficulties TikTok users in the US may experience are the result of technical issues following the power outage.” It’s unusual for a physical event like a storm to injure a major site of digital life like TikTok, as such popular apps usually keep backups in place, but it can happen.
The most powerful person to accuse TikTok of censorship wasn’t its most famous user. The California governor is known more for his textual presence on X than his TikToks. However, Gavin Newsom announced on January 27 that his office would investigate whether TikTok censored videos critical of Donald Trump, expanding the scope of the app’s alleged pro-Maga interference.
The late attribution of blame did little to alleviate public criticism. An unknown number of users said they abandoned the new American TikTok in response to perceived censorship. The launch pushed Upscrolled, a new rival that promises less censorship than TikTok, to the top spot in the US Apple App Store and third place in the Google Play Store. Scroll Up Press release it now claims to have over a million users. As of writing, TikTok is ranked 16th in the iPhone App Store and 10th in the Google Play Store. Along with Swipe Up, the top downloads include three apps known as virtual private networks (VPNs), which are used to hide online activity from surveillance. There is fear in the air about digital government attacks.
It seems unlikely that TikTok, which has more than a billion users worldwide, will disappear completely as a result of these failures. Facebook and Instagram have endured far more serious scandals than this. But TikTok’s first week in the US doesn’t bode well for its future. The practice has damaged the user’s confidence, and another misstep could cause permanent injury.
TikTok’s week of turmoil began with Trump. The transfer of ownership of TikTok completes a ban-or-sell deal the US president proposed nearly six years ago, and he said he was thrilled the transfer had finally happened. In the intervening years, Trump withdrew his support for the agreement; his enemy Joe Biden supported it during his presidency; Congress had passed a law regulating Trump’s wishes and legally forcing the sale of TikTok; and the US supreme court upheld the law in the face of TikTok’s objection and intense public disapproval. Trump then ordered a crackdown on immigrants, which paved the way for the murder of two US citizens. The only aspect of TikTok’s terrible week that Trump didn’t intervene in was the winter weather.
TikTok’s disastrous arrival marks the anniversary of similar incompetence. A year and two weeks ago, the app stopped working in the US due to the same sell-it-or-ban law that fueled the sale. This darkening lasted less than 24 hours. The new owners can hope that their current problems will go away quickly.
