TikTok Users Report Widespread Outages Days After U.S. Ownership Deal
Users reported login failures and feed disruptions on Jan. 25 after TikTok formed a U.S. majority-owned joint venture on Jan. 22, 2026.
Overview
On Jan. 25, over 36,000 reports of TikTok problems peaked shortly before 4 a.m., with users reporting login failures, lagging, reposting failures and repetitive feeds, according to Downdetector.
The outage followed TikTok's Jan. 22 announcement that it formed TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, valued at $14 billion, with U.S. investors holding 80.1% and ByteDance retaining 19.9%, records show.
TikTok users also encountered errors accessing the Help Center and the updated terms of service at TikTok.com/legal, according to user reports and site error messages.
President Donald Trump hailed the Jan. 22 deal on Truth Social, saying he "helped in saving TikTok," while Senator Edward Markey said the White House provided "virtually no details" and demanded congressional scrutiny, officials confirmed.
Technologists and some lawmakers warned that transferring data and retraining the algorithm could cause service disruptions as the joint venture transitions control, and congressional hearings or audits are expected in the coming months.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the coverage as a cautious, national-security–focused compromise that preserves access while raising data-separation doubts. They foreground TikTok’s outage alongside the U.S. deal, prioritize government oversight and investor voices, and use terms like “majority American-owned” and “protect national security” to stress legitimacy and remaining concerns.
Sources (29)
FAQ
U.S. investors hold 80.1%, with managing investors Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each at 15% (45% total), and other investors like Dell Family Office holding the remaining 35%; ByteDance retains 19.9%.
Users reported login failures, lagging, reposting failures, repetitive feeds, and errors accessing the Help Center and updated terms of service.
Technologists and lawmakers warned that transferring data and retraining the algorithm during the transition to the joint venture could cause service disruptions.
Oracle is a managing investor with 15% stake, appointed as the trusted security partner to host U.S. user data, audit compliance, and ensure ByteDance has no access to sensitive information.
President Trump claimed on Truth Social that he helped save TikTok, while Senator Edward Markey criticized the lack of details and demanded congressional scrutiny.
History
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