TikTok outages spark fears over data control and censorship in the US
Technical disruptions and outages on TikTok coincided with US ownership restructuring, sparking public concern about surveillance and censorship risks.
Widespread TikTok disruptions affected users across the US as snowstorms triggered power outages and technical failures, with reports of malfunctioning algorithms and missing content features.
Problems persisted for some users beyond the initial incident, adding to uncertainty surrounding the platform’s stability.
The outage coincided with the creation of a new US-based TikTok joint venture following government concerns over potential Chinese access to user data. TikTok stated that a power failure at a domestic data centre caused the disruption, rather than ownership restructuring or policy changes.
Suspicion grew among users due to overlapping political events, including large-scale protests in Minneapolis and reports of difficulties searching for related content. Fears of censorship spread online, although TikTok attributed all disruptions to infrastructure failure.
The incident also resurfaced concerns over TikTok’s privacy policy, which outlines the collection of sensitive personal data. While some disclosures predated the ownership deal, the timing reinforced broader anxieties over social media surveillance during periods of political tension.
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