## TikTok Glitches Spark Scrutiny Amidst Ownership Shake-Up and Public Unrest
A tempest of winter weather wasn’t the only storm brewing last Sunday across the United States. As heavy snow blanketed swathes of the nation, countless TikTok users found themselves grappling with a different kind of disruption: widespread malfunctions plaguing the popular social media platform. Reports flooded in of everything from stalled comment sections to an erratic For You page algorithm, leaving many creators and viewers frustrated, with some experiencing lingering issues into the week.
### The Immediate Impact: A Frustrating Digital Experience
From coast to coast, the digital landscape of TikTok was in disarray. Users reported an array of technical difficulties, from the inability to load comments on videos to unpredictable behavior from the app’s famed For You page algorithm, which typically curates a personalized stream of content. For a platform so deeply integrated into daily communication and entertainment, these glitches led to significant user frustration and a surge of online complaints.
### TikTok’s Official Stance: A Data Center Snafu
Amidst the growing speculation, the newly formed TikTok USDS Joint Venture quickly offered an explanation. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the company attributed the service interruptions to a significant power outage at a U.S. data center. Their public statement clarified:
Since yesterday we’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate. We’re working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We’re sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.
— TikTok USDS Joint Venture (@tiktokusdsjv) January 26, 2026
Indeed, user-reported metrics from platforms like Downdetector confirmed a nationwide scope to the problem. While TikTok’s explanation of a data center power outage holds a degree of logical credibility—considering over a million Americans were left without power in the wake of severe winter storms—a segment of its user base remained unconvinced. The close proximity of these outages to the formal establishment of the U.S. joint venture fueled a palpable sense of unease and suspicion among many.
### Beyond the Glitch: Unpacking the Coincidences
The timing of these technical hiccups immediately raised eyebrows, coinciding precisely with a pivotal moment in TikTok’s corporate history and a period of social unrest.
#### A New Era for TikTok USDS: A Government Mandate
Just days prior to the outages, the “TikTok USDS Joint Venture” formally came into existence – a move long mandated by the U.S. government amidst escalating national security concerns. These concerns stemmed from fears that Beijing could potentially leverage TikTok’s former parent company, ByteDance, to access sensitive American user data. Under the new structure, ByteDance’s stake has diminished to less than 20%, with key investors like Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each holding a 15% share in the newly independent U.S. entity. This significant ownership shift provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories when the app began to falter.
#### Geopolitical Tensions: Minneapolis Protests and Search Anomalies
Further complicating the narrative, these technical issues coincided with a period of heightened social and political tension. Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been the focal point of significant unrest since early January, with thousands of ICE agents deployed in what has been described by Acting Director Todd Lyons as the “largest immigration operation ever.” Tragically, these operations saw a border patrol agent shoot and kill Alex Pretti on Saturday, marking the second civilian fatality attributed to ICE in Minneapolis this month.
Against this backdrop, reports surfaced from some TikTok users claiming difficulties in searching for information related to these Minneapolis events within the app. These perceived impediments quickly ignited fears of potential government censorship, though TikTok maintains these search anomalies were merely collateral damage from the broader data center outage.
#### The Shifting Sands of Privacy: Policy Updates Add to Concerns
Adding another layer to user apprehension, the same weekend also saw renewed scrutiny of TikTok’s privacy policy. Specific language within the updated policy, detailing the app’s capacity to collect user data pertaining to “sexual life or sexual orientation, status as transgender or nonbinary, citizenship or immigration status,” became a focal point of concern. While these revelations might seem alarming, TechCrunch highlighted that several of these data collection provisions aren’t entirely novel, having been part of TikTok’s policy before the recent ownership transition, largely to ensure compliance with regulations like California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
### Navigating the Digital Fog: Why Vigilance Matters
In isolation, both the service interruptions and the privacy policy updates might be dismissed as routine operational challenges or standard regulatory adjustments. However, their convergence during a period of significant corporate transition and pronounced social unrest creates a potent cocktail of suspicion. This confluence of events serves as a stark reminder: in an increasingly interconnected and often volatile world, vigilance regarding social media surveillance and data privacy is not merely advisable, but essential for all citizens.