Observed Signal · Jan 27, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
TikTok US Chaos: 150% More Deletes
The newly launched US version of TikTok faced technical outages and widespread user friction, including missing updates on the For You feed, videos with zero views on political topics, and posting/loading issues. The outage stemmed from a power failure at a US data center partner, triggering cascading system failures that the company has been addressing with the data center provider. CNBC cites Sensor Tower data showing a 150% rise in US users deleting TikTok over the past five days compared with the prior three months. Creators and users are flocking to alternatives like UpScroll and Skylight. In addition, TikTok Shop will end independent Seller Shipping in the US on February 25, 2026, pushing merchants to use TikTok’s shipping system. The situation has intensified debates over censorship, monetization in the US version, and governance of the USDS joint venture.
Significant disruption to the US TikTok user experience and monetization; potential impact on the creator economy and advertising ecosystem.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- TikTok US version launched under the USDS Joint Venture (Oracle, Silver Lake, MGX) following ByteDance restructuring.
- US users reported outages, missing For You updates, zero-views on political videos, and posting/loading issues after the US launch.
- Power outage at a US data center partner caused cascading system failures that were being resolved with the partner.
- CNBC, citing Sensor Tower data, reported a 150% increase in US TikTok deletions over the last five days.
- TikTok Shop will end independent Seller Shipping in the US on February 25, 2026, forcing US merchants to use TikTok’s shipping system.
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
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TikTok Restored, Explanations Scrutinized
The article analyzes TikTok’s US outages, which the company attributed to a severe winter storm that struck the East Coast and damaged an Oracle-operated data center, triggering network and storage failures affecting tens of thousands of servers. The outage occurred as TikTok’s US operations were under a new leadership structure viewed by some as Trump-aligned, fueling skepticism about the technical explanation. Reports cited reduced reach for politically sensitive content, including posts related to the ICE, protests, and Donald Trump, suggesting possible content throttling amid the leadership change. Sensor Tower data indicated a 150% rise in account deletions in the days after the restart, while new apps Skylight and Upscrolled gained traction (roughly 380,000 users and 41,000 downloads, respectively). TikTok USDS Joint Venture publicly stated the service was restored on February 1, 2026. The episode highlights concerns about centralized infrastructure and the impact on creators and marketers.
TikTok's U.S. User Base Stabilizes After Initial Turmoil
Sensor Tower and industry analysts report that U.S. TikTok usage remained largely intact after the Jan. 23 announcement of a new U.S. joint venture formed to comply with a presidential divestiture order. ByteDance retains a 19.9% stake while Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX each hold 15%; the entity is named the TikTok USDS Joint Venture. Despite spikes in deletions and service disruptions tied to the rollout and worries about algorithm changes and censorship, Sensor Tower data showed average daily U.S. usership at roughly 95% of the week of Jan. 19–25 and average daily time spent rebounded to about 80 minutes. Alternative apps saw short-term download surges (e.g., UpScrolled) but those gains largely faded. Analysts say there is no clear evidence of systematic political manipulation, though the joint venture’s new terms permit algorithm retraining on U.S. data and expanded data-collection provisions that could affect advertisers and regulators.
TikTok Attribution Source Optimization Aligns Measurement and Bidding
TikTok introduces Attribution Source Optimization for app advertisers, allowing them to select their preferred attribution source (e.g., MMP) to inform campaign optimization. This addresses discrepancies between platform and MMP reporting by aligning measurement and bidding signals. Features include support for Adjust, AppsFlyer, Singular, and upcoming integrations with Airbridge, Branch, Kochava, and Tenjin. Alpha testing with iOS gaming app That's My Seat showed an 18% lift in Day 0 tROAS and 15% increase in billing ratio. The move aims to give advertisers more control as AI-driven automation increases, ensuring optimization uses the same conversion signals marketers trust for performance evaluation.
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