TikTok's Turbulent Transition: App Deletions and Censorship Concerns Loom Over New Ownership Structure
As the US ownership structure of popular short-form video sharing app TikTok took effect last week, the platform was hit with a slew of technical issues, censorship claims, and user deletions. The company attributed the problems to a "major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage" at one of its data center partner sites.
The outage caused a range of bugs, including creators temporarily seeing zero views on their videos despite users having looked at them, slow load times, and timeout requests when posting videos. Although TikTok has made significant progress in restoring services, glitches were still reported by some users.
However, the technical issues have given way to concerns over censorship. Users have taken to social media to report that TikTok is censoring videos critical of prominent figures such as President Donald Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or mentioning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This has prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to launch an investigation into whether TikTok is violating state law by suppressing such content.
TikTok's new US joint venture spokesperson Jamie Favazza denied the claims, stating that the problems users have been experiencing are simply technical issues, which the company has transparently confirmed. Nevertheless, some users have deleted the app in response to the perceived censorship, with daily average app uninstalls growing by 130% over a recent period.
While this may seem alarming, market intelligence firm Sensor Tower found that daily average users actually increased by 2% during the same period, suggesting that the uninstalls had little effect on overall usage. However, if the issues persist or grow in severity, it could pose bigger problems for TikTok down the line.
Social media analyst Minda Smiley noted that while the ownership change may be a factor in the technical issues, "optics and perceptions" are crucial in situations like this. If users feel as though their content is being suppressed or difficult to upload, they may abandon the platform altogether. While some users may not follow suit, others may flee due to concerns over censorship.
The incident serves as a reminder that even with the vast reach of social media platforms, user perception and trust can be a powerful force in shaping behavior. As TikTok navigates its new ownership structure, it must balance technical issues with the growing demands for transparency and accountability from users worldwide.
As the US ownership structure of popular short-form video sharing app TikTok took effect last week, the platform was hit with a slew of technical issues, censorship claims, and user deletions. The company attributed the problems to a "major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage" at one of its data center partner sites.
The outage caused a range of bugs, including creators temporarily seeing zero views on their videos despite users having looked at them, slow load times, and timeout requests when posting videos. Although TikTok has made significant progress in restoring services, glitches were still reported by some users.
However, the technical issues have given way to concerns over censorship. Users have taken to social media to report that TikTok is censoring videos critical of prominent figures such as President Donald Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or mentioning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This has prompted California Governor Gavin Newsom to launch an investigation into whether TikTok is violating state law by suppressing such content.
TikTok's new US joint venture spokesperson Jamie Favazza denied the claims, stating that the problems users have been experiencing are simply technical issues, which the company has transparently confirmed. Nevertheless, some users have deleted the app in response to the perceived censorship, with daily average app uninstalls growing by 130% over a recent period.
While this may seem alarming, market intelligence firm Sensor Tower found that daily average users actually increased by 2% during the same period, suggesting that the uninstalls had little effect on overall usage. However, if the issues persist or grow in severity, it could pose bigger problems for TikTok down the line.
Social media analyst Minda Smiley noted that while the ownership change may be a factor in the technical issues, "optics and perceptions" are crucial in situations like this. If users feel as though their content is being suppressed or difficult to upload, they may abandon the platform altogether. While some users may not follow suit, others may flee due to concerns over censorship.
The incident serves as a reminder that even with the vast reach of social media platforms, user perception and trust can be a powerful force in shaping behavior. As TikTok navigates its new ownership structure, it must balance technical issues with the growing demands for transparency and accountability from users worldwide.
. Like I get that they're trying to navigate a new ownership structure and all, but can't they just iron out the tech issues first? Instead we're getting these crazy glitches and censorship claims 
. It's like, I get it if you wanna be transparent about what's going on, but do you have to delete vids of people speaking out against Trump or something? That's wild. Anyway, I think some ppl are jumping the gun a bit by deleting the app over this, but at the same time, I can see why others would be worried 
. Guess we'll just have to keep an eye on it and see how things play out 
i mean im not surprised the censored vids are causing drama though, thats just basic human rights stuff 
but yeah its sad to see ppl deleting the app over it 
maybe tiktok can just relax and let users speak freely without all the censorship vibes 
. But seriously, censorship concerns? guys chill, it's just a video platform, don't take the bait 
. On a more serious note tho, I think they need to get their technical issues sorted out ASAP or risk losing even more users. and btw, who needs transparency and accountability on TikTok when you've got 2% daily user growth? 
. It's like, think of all the small businesses and entrepreneurs who are already struggling to get their voice heard on these platforms... now you've got a new owner just making changes willy-nilly? 
And people are already accusing them of censorship? It's like, come on, transparency is key here 
. I mean, what if this was happening with a major news outlet or something? The public would be up in arms 
.
The fact that California is launching an investigation into this stuff is a good first step, though 
. We need more scrutiny on this kind of thing.
, but still, it shows that people care about what they post online and who has access to their data 
.
I mean, who knew that changing owners would cause so much drama on TikTok?! Like, what even is going on? One day you're posting sick vids and the next, they're deleting your account or something 
. And don't even get me started on the censorship thing... like, come on TikTok! I know they say it's just technical issues but still, 2% increase in users might not be that much considering how many people are abandoning ship 
. I'm all about transparency and accountability though, so if there's something fishy going on, I'm def gonna stick my nose in 
. Like, who's behind this new ownership structure? We need to know more about it ASAP 
. I mean, I get that they've made some big changes to their app and stuff, but a major infrastructure issue shouldn't be happening like this? It's not just the technical issues, it's the censorship concerns too - I don't think it's cool that users are getting their content taken down or being censored for sharing certain things. And now people are deleting the app left and right... 130% uninstalls is crazy! 
. But at the same time, the whole censorship vibe has got me all anxious 
. I mean, isn't the point of TikTok supposed to be free expression and creativity? 
And now they're allegedly suppressing videos that might be considered sensitive or incendiary? That just seems sketchy 
. One minute everything's fine, next it's total chaos and bugs are everywhere 
. Part of me thinks TikTok should just push on and deal with the drama 
, while another part of me is like, "Girl, you better take a step back and reevaluate your entire strategy" 
guess we'll see how long it takes for them to get their act together 
. I mean, yeah, glitches happen, but when it affects creators' views and posting times, that's a problem 
It's not like you're some mysterious shadow org 
.
. And it's not just the censorship that's a concern, it's the fact that some people are deleting the app because of this 
It just goes to show how much power user perception has over these platforms. TikTok needs to step up its game and show us they're not messing with our content 
.
I feel like this is all about being aware of how our actions (or inactions) affect others around us. So when we see a platform like TikTok making changes that can impact its users, it's like we're witnessing a microcosm of life itself.
It just goes to show how our perceptions can influence what we do.
But also, think about all the times when things haven't gone as planned, and yet life has kept on moving. That's kinda like what's happening here - TikTok might be dealing with some growing pains, but its users are still holding strong.
gotta stay vigilant and see how this whole thing plays out 
Ugh, what's going on with TikTok? First, their app is literally crashing all over the place and now they're censoring vids just because some folks don't like it? It's like, can't they just keep things stable for once? And now people are deleting the app left and right... like, I get it, if users feel like their content is being suppressed, but 130% increase in uninstalls? That's crazy talk! 
i mean, governor newsom's investigation is a good start, but we need more than that... i want to see some real accountability from tiktok's new owners. 