TikTok Addresses US App “Cascading Systems Failure”

TikTok’s newly formed U.S. entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, has acknowledged ongoing technical disruptions affecting the app for American users, attributing them to a power outage at a data center partner facility. The issues, which began shortly after the venture assumed control of U.S. operations on January 22, 2026, have included delayed posting, slower load times, timed-out requests, and temporary display errors such as videos showing zero views or likes, as well as apparent missing creator earnings.

“We’ve made significant progress in recovering our U.S. infrastructure with our U.S. data center partner. However, the U.S. user experience may still have some technical issues, including when posting new content. We’re committed to bringing TikTok back to its full capacity as soon as possible. ”The company described the outage as triggering a “cascading systems failure” that continues to cause multiple bugs, despite partial network recovery. Updates from the TikTok USDS account on X emphasized that these are infrastructure-related problems, not intentional changes, and the team is collaborating with its partner to stabilize services.

The timing has fueled speculation among users and observers about potential content moderation shifts following the transition to majority U.S. ownership (involving Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake). High-profile figures and creators reported difficulties with posts on politically sensitive topics. TikTok has denied any deliberate censorship, with spokespeople stating that videos related to reported events remain available and that message restrictions (e.g., on certain keywords) are under investigation as part of broader glitch resolution.