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What caused the TikTok outage? Company releases details
TikTok attributed the user-reported significant interruptions on the app to a power outage at a US data center.
TikTok users across the country have experienced major interruptions to the platform's service. The disruption aligns with the transfer of ownership to its US entity. Users have reported video feeds malfunctioning, comments failing to load, and login problems disrupting usage this weekend.
Read more: TikTok outage linked to the Minneapolis shooting? Users make bizarre claims
The US entity blames the disruption on an outage at a U.S. data center
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC has released an official statement claiming that the issues are due to a power outage at a U.S. data center.
According to their post on X, “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.”
The outage has caused disruptions that align with the major power instability in the U.S. after recent severe weather affected electricity grids in several states.
They have apologized for the disruption, saying, “We're working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We're sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.”
While TikTok and its U.S. joint venture have attributed the problem to a data center outage, the timing has fueled speculation among users. Some are labelling the disruption as the result of the shooting that happened in Minneapolis involving Border Patrol agents that killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
Read more: TikTok-US deal sealed, but is the ‘For You’ page fight over? Who owns what now
Details on the outage and user impact
Tens of thousands of users reported problems on Sunday, reaching a peak of over 36,000 complaints about faulty comments, feed troubles, and login failures, according to outage tracking tools like DownDetector. Users have also reported seeing repeated and outdated content instead of fresh video recommendations.
The timing of the outage coincided with the first weekend under the newly formed TikTok USDS Joint Venture, by having Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX among its controlling investors. The shift was necessarily made to satisfy U.S. national security concerns and a potential ban of the app in the United States.
While TikTok and its US joint venture have attributed the problem to a data center outage, the timing has fueled speculation among users.
