TikTok Data Center Outage Triggers Trust Crisis for New US Owners | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoMerchSearchSearchSign InSign InZeyi Yang Vittoria ElliottBusinessJan 26, 2026 4:49 PMTikTok Data Center Outage Triggers Trust Crisis for New US OwnersThe technical failure coincided with TikTok’s ownership transition, leading users to question whether videos criticizing ICE raids in Minnesota were being intentionally censored.Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty ImagesSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyTikTok is currently experiencing a widespread service outage in the US, causing disruptions for millions of users only a few days after the company officially transferred control of its American business to a group of majority-US investors.The technical issues led many TikTok users to speculate about whether the app’s new owners were intentionally suppressing videos about political topics, particularly content related to recent federal immigration operations in Minnesota. TikTok has denied the allegations, attributing the problems to a power outage.TikTok users began reporting on Sunday that they were having trouble uploading videos to the app as well as viewing content that had already been posted on the platform. Others said that while they could upload videos, they were receiving far fewer views and engagement than usual.According to Downdetector, which tracks real-time service disruptions, a surge of users began reporting outages on TikTok starting early yesterday morning in the US. “Our data suggests that services are not yet fully restored for all users,” reads an alert Downdetector shared on Monday.Steve Vladeck, a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Law, said in a Bluesky post that he had “recorded a video on TikTok about why DHS’s arguments for the power to enter homes without judicial warrants in immigration cases are bunk. Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is ‘under review,’ and can’t be shared.”The technical glitches have also attracted the attention of US senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. “I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list,” Murphy wrote in a Bluesky post. When reached for comment, Deni Kemper, a spokesperson for Murphy, told WIRED that his office did not “have anything to share beyond the senator’s tweet.”In a post from a new X account created by the app’s US-controlled entity, TikTok said the service disruption was caused by “a power outage at a US data center.” A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the account’s authenticity to WIRED.When asked about user claims that content was being censored on the platform, the spokesperson said it would be inaccurate to describe the problem as anything other than a technical issue that the company has publicly confirmed on X.The spokesperson added that new TikTok posts may temporarily take longer to publish and be circulated by the app’s recommendation algorithm. TikTok says it’s working with its data center partner to restore service as quickly as possible, but there’s currently no estimate for when the app will be fully functional again.Oracle, which owns 15 percent of TikTok's new US entity, has hosted the app’s US user data since 2022. The company declined to comment on the outage. It’s unclear if it may be related to a powerful winter storm sweeping across large parts of the US, which has knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands of Americans.TikTok completed transferring ownership of its US operations last week. On Thursday, the company announced that it has established TikTok USDS Joint Venture, a corporate entity intended to bring the app into compliance with a 2024 law requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese ownership. The law was upheld by the US Supreme Court, but its enforcement was repeatedly postponed by the Trump administration until last week.In the announcement, TikTok said that TikTok USDS Joint Venture would “retrain, test, and update the content recommendation algorithm on US user data.” The news has caused many American TikTok users to worry that the app’s new owners could manipulate the algorithm to prioritize certain kinds of content over others.Larry Ellison, Oracle’s cofounder, is a close ally of President Trump. After Larry’s son, David Ellison, became CEO of Paramount Skydance in August 2025, he installed conservative pundit Bari Weiss at the helm of CBS News and oversaw a series of changes at the news organization that some critics allege has made its coverage friendlier to the Trump administration.Many TikTok users have said they are concerned that Oracle taking a stake in TikTok would mean that similar changes were coming to the app, which is used by over 100 million people in the US.The latest confrontations between federal immigration enforcement and people of Minneapolis, including the fatal shootings of two US citizens by ICE agents, became an early test for the new owners of TikTok’s US entity to prove the app would remain trustworthy. But the data center outage resulted in many TikTok users being unable to post content related to ICE or immigration protests, leading some to conclude that the app may have been unfairly restricting anti-ICE content, which TikTok has denied.Some users have even said they are getting rid of TikTok or are planning to leave the app and are encouraging others to do so as well. “I've just deleted my TikTok account permanently. This is UNACCEPTABLE!” wrote one person on Bluesky. “It's part of the Ellison empire. I won't have anything to do with TikTok. Or CBS News,” said another. On Sunday, actress Megan Stalter announced that she was deleting TikTok after being unable to upload a video about ICE and urged others to follow her lead.Since the new corporate entity was announced last week, TikTok USDS Joint Venture has launched a stand-alone website, created a social media account on X, and updated its privacy policy, which disclosed that the app is now collecting more kinds of user data.Many details about how TikTok will function under its new owners remain unclear. TikTok has operated a separate US unit since 2022, TikTok US Data Security (USDS), which was created as part of the company’s effort to address national security concerns by walling off American user data from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.That structure complicates the picture of what has actually changed under the newly announced TikTok USDS Joint Venture. Some of the jobs listed on the Joint Venture’s new website, for example, appear to have been posted and advertised on TikTok’s main careers page before the Joint Venture structure was publicly announced last week, raising questions about how distinct the new entity may be from TikTok’s existing US operations. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the job listings.You Might Also LikeIn your inbox: The biggest tech news coming out of ChinaThe real AI talent war is for plumbers and electriciansBig Story: How ICE uprooted normal life in MinneapolisDumbphone owners have lost their mindsListen: Wikipedia’s founder on the threats to its futureZeyi Yang is a senior writer at WIRED, covering technology and business in China. He cowrites Made in China, a weekly newsletter that gives readers a clear-eyed, unbiased view of the biggest tech news coming out of the country. Prior to joining WIRED, he was China reporter at MIT Technology ... Read MoreSenior WriterVittoria Elliott is a reporter for WIRED, covering platforms and power. She was previously a reporter at Rest of World, where she covered disinformation and labor in markets outside the US and Western Europe. She has worked with The New Humanitarian, Al Jazeera, and ProPublica. She is a graduate of ... Read MorePlatforms and power reporterTopicsTikTokImmigration and Customs EnforcementSocial MediaMinnesotacensorshipNational AffairsRead MoreIntel’s Panther Lake Chip Is Its Biggest Win in YearsI’ve tested two new laptops powered by Panther Lake—pitting them head-to-head against laptops with Apple Silicon—and Intel has finally scored a much-needed win with the Core Ultra Series 3.10% Off Dell Coupon Codes for January 2026Get 10% off with verified Dell promo code, plus today’s coupons for up to $600 off laptops, Alienware monitors, and all things tech.20% Off TurboTax Service Codes for January 2026Tax season doesn’t have to be stressful. 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I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this,” one worker wrote on Slack.TikTok Data Center Outage Triggers Trust Crisis for New US OwnersThe technical failure coincided with TikTok’s ownership transition, leading users to question whether videos criticizing ICE raids in Minnesota were being intentionally censored.Redditors Are Mounting a Resistance Against ICEA user from r/Minneapolis was among the first to share footage of federal agents shooting Alex Pretti. Following his death, subreddits about football, cats, and embroidery have all rallied against ICE.This Wireless Mic Kit Is $70 OffSave on a full DJI Mic 3 bundle, or pick and choose to build your own portable recording setup.After 5 Years, Apple Finally Upgrades the AirTagThe second-generation AirTag features Apple’s newer Ultra Wideband chip and has a louder speaker and better range.We Strapped on Exoskeletons and Raced. 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TikTok’s recent data center outage, coinciding with its ownership transition to a US-majority investor group, has ignited a significant trust crisis among its user base. The technical issues, initially attributed to a power outage, immediately fueled speculation that the new owners were intentionally suppressing content, particularly videos criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota. This suspicion arose because nine hours after TikTok stated that a video criticizing the actions of ICE was “under review,” the platform still refused to allow the video to be shared.

Professor Steve Vladeck of Georgetown’s School of Law amplified these concerns, sharing a video he’d created on TikTok about the Department of Homeland Security’s arguments regarding warrantless home entries in immigration cases. The continued “under review” status of the video for nine hours—and the inability to share it—further cemented user distrust.

The situation was compounded by a coordinated response from both Oracle, which owns 15% of TikTok’s new US entity, and the app’s newly established US-controlled joint venture, TikTok USDS Joint Venture. Both issued statements attempting to clarify the situation, but their actions did little to quell concerns. Notably, the timing of the outage occurred just as TikTok was embarking on a significant restructuring under its new ownership, including a revised content recommendation algorithm. The company's decision to establish a new social media account on X (formerly Twitter) and launch a standalone website underscored its effort to present a new, independent image.

However, this rebranding effort was met with skepticism, given Oracle’s presence and the fact that some job listings for the Joint Venture had been posted on TikTok’s existing careers page prior to the entity’s official formation. This raised questions about the true level of separation between the old and new operations. Furthermore, the data center outage coincided with a period of heightened scrutiny regarding ICE’s tactics and the potential for political influence within the app’s content moderation. The subsequent outcry from users, including calls to delete the app, demonstrates a deep-seated concern about the new owners’ intentions and the potential for manipulation or censorship. The events surrounding this outage are likely to have a lasting impact on TikTok’s brand and user trust, particularly as the platform navigates a complex landscape of national security concerns and regulatory pressures.