TikTok’s US outage blamed on power failure, but timing raises questions
TikTok says a weather-related outage disrupted US services—but the timing raises eyebrows
TikTok has been glitching for days, and not in the usual meme-y way. Users across the US reported strange app behavior over the weekend, including broken comment sections, outdated For You page content, and videos showing zero views. The company now says the culprit is a power outage at a US data center.
But the timing has some marketers and users uneasy. The outage coincided with TikTok's transition to its newly created USDS joint venture, formed to comply with US government demands for data separation from Chinese parent company ByteDance. And with political unrest flaring in Minneapolis, where TikTok content around immigration protests was conspicuously hard to find, suspicions of algorithm tampering weren’t far behind.
This article explores what actually happened, why the trust factor matters more than ever, and how marketers should respond as TikTok enters a new era of oversight.
Short on time?
Here is a table of content for quick access:
- What happened: weather, outages, and a joint venture rollout
- Context: political heat and algorithm paranoia
- What marketers should know
Patrecia Meliana
Weather, outages, and a joint venture rollout
Over the weekend, TikTok users encountered a range of app disruptions: zeroed-out view counts, algorithm glitches, and delayed uploads. Some users also reported seeing outdated content in their feeds or encountering errors when trying to post or engage.
According to TikTok’s new USDS Joint Venture, the issue stemmed from a weather-related power outage at a US-based Oracle data center. The company described it as a "cascading systems failure" that triggered multiple bugs and impacted creator metrics, including earnings visibility.
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
Oracle, which now holds a 15% stake in the new TikTok USDS venture alongside Silver Lake and MGX, confirmed the outage and said it is working closely with TikTok to stabilize services.
The glitches emerged just days after TikTok finalized the joint venture agreement. Under the terms, Oracle and other US-based investors manage US user data and control key elements of the content recommendation algorithm, while ByteDance retains under 20% ownership.
Political heat and algorithm paranoia
On paper, the outage explanation checks out. More than a million Americans experienced power loss over the weekend due to extreme winter storms. But for users already skeptical of TikTok’s political ties, the optics were problematic.
The disruption coincided with civil unrest in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a civilian by ICE agents. That incident quickly escalated into a national flashpoint. Users noted that TikTok searches for related protest content were yielding sparse or irrelevant results, fueling theories about content suppression.
TikTok has denied any form of censorship, maintaining that the outages were purely technical. Still, the coincidence of app instability, a politically sensitive event, and the operational handoff to US investors raised questions about transparency and control.
To add fuel to the fire, TikTok’s updated privacy policy — previously flagged for collecting data on sexual orientation and immigration status — also circulated again over the weekend. Although these clauses are not new and are meant to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act, their resurfacing amid the outage stirred fresh anxiety about user surveillance.
What marketers should know
For marketers who rely on TikTok to drive campaigns, the recent outage is more than just a technical hiccup. It is a signal to reassess platform risk and communication strategy.
1. Platform stability is not guaranteed
This event highlights how even top-tier apps can experience widespread failure tied to infrastructure. Brands need contingency plans when primary platforms go down or behave unpredictably, especially during critical campaign periods.
2. Watch for algorithmic aftershocks
Because TikTok’s new US entity is tasked with retraining and testing the recommendation algorithm, marketers should monitor whether content visibility, reach, or engagement patterns shift in the coming weeks.
3. Expect user skepticism to grow
TikTok’s user base is sensitive to perceived manipulation. If your brand is active on the platform, transparency matters, both in how you use data and how you engage in moments of political or cultural tension.
4. Diversify your short-form content strategy
Relying solely on TikTok may expose your brand to both technical and reputational risk. Now is the time to cross-publish on Reels, YouTube Shorts, or even Snapchat Spotlight to maintain reach and hedge against volatility.
While TikTok’s data center outage appears to be a technical mishap with unfortunate timing, the implications go deeper. In an era where data control, algorithm integrity, and platform trust are under constant scrutiny, marketers need to stay vigilant.
Whether the glitch was a freak accident or a wake-up call, the takeaway is clear. Do not take your audience’s trust, or TikTok’s uptime, for granted.
