Hey TikTok fam, noticed a sudden quiet on your feed? You’re not alone! Creators across the platform are reporting a worrying plunge in views and engagement, sparking widespread concern. Some are even speculating this slowdown is tied to political content, especially criticism of the previous administration.
So, what’s really going on? TikTok officially attributes the dips to recent glitches caused by a major power outage affecting one of their U.S. data centers. However, this explanation hasn’t stopped a significant exodus, with user uninstall rates jumping a massive 130% compared to typical months.
This turbulence comes hot on the heels of a major deal: TikTok’s U.S. operations are now controlled by a new joint venture, largely owned by American investors like Oracle, with reduced stakes for its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Following this change, new Terms of Service were swiftly rolled out.
Users quickly voiced fears about new data collection, including gender identity, racial background, and even medical history. But here’s the scoop: many of those terms were actually in place as early as July 2024. The main recent change? New language allowing more geolocation tracking, which TikTok states you can disable.
Experts confirm that TikTok’s terms are pretty standard for social media. However, in our current “charged moment,” as one expert put it, doubts about ownership and potential conflicts of interest can make people connect any changes they see to political motives. It seems a mix of technical issues, new ownership, and a lack of trust are all playing a part in the great TikTok slowdown.
