TikTok users around the world experienced widespread disruptions on Sunday, January 25, as the popular short-form video platform suffered technical issues that affected both its mobile app and website. The problems emerged during the early hours of the day and prompted thousands of users to report difficulties ranging from login failures to malfunctioning content feeds.
Many users said they were unable to access their accounts, while others reported sluggish performance, broken repost features, and feeds that repeatedly displayed videos they had already watched. Some users also noted a decline in personalized recommendations, a core feature of TikTok’s algorithm-driven experience.
As frustration grew, users turned to other social media platforms to share screenshots and videos documenting the issues, with some describing the app as partially or completely unusable for extended periods.
Downdetector Reports Spike in User Complaints
Data from outage-tracking service Downdetector showed a sharp increase in problem reports beginning shortly before 4 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. At its peak, more than 36,000 users had flagged issues with the platform, indicating a widespread disruption rather than isolated incidents.
Although the volume of reports declined steadily throughout the day, the problems did not disappear entirely. By mid-afternoon, thousands of users were still reporting ongoing difficulties, suggesting that service restoration was uneven and incomplete in some regions.
Downdetector data indicated that most complaints were linked to the TikTok app itself, accounting for roughly two-thirds of reported issues. Other users reported full service outages, while a significant share cited problems specifically tied to content feeds, including looping videos and limited content refresh.
Website Access and Support Pages Also Affected
In addition to app-related problems, some users encountered issues accessing TikTok’s website. Attempts to load customer support resources and legal documentation were met with error messages, preventing users from reviewing help materials or updated policies.
The inability to access TikTok’s Help Center compounded user frustration, particularly for those seeking clarity on whether the issues were temporary outages or related to account-specific problems. Errors also appeared on pages hosting TikTok’s legal terms, further complicating the situation.
The website disruptions stood out because they coincided with the rollout of updated terms of service and a revised privacy policy introduced just days earlier.
Technical Issues Follow Major Corporate Restructuring
The outage came shortly after TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, finalized a major restructuring agreement on January 22. Under the deal, TikTok’s U.S. operations were reorganized into a new joint venture that is majority owned by American and global investors, a move aimed at avoiding a potential ban of the app in the United States.
As part of the agreement, non-Chinese investors now control 80.1 percent of the joint venture, while ByteDance retains a minority stake of 19.9 percent. The investor group includes Oracle and MGX, firms that have publicly supported former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The restructuring follows years of regulatory pressure and political scrutiny over TikTok’s ownership, data practices, and national security concerns. U.S. lawmakers had previously pushed for divestment or restrictions on the app, citing fears over data access and foreign influence.
Updated Terms Introduced Amid Ownership Changes
Following the ownership transition, TikTok introduced revised terms of service and a new privacy policy effective January 22, 2026. The company said the updates were intended to reflect changes to its corporate structure and operational framework under the new joint venture.
Users were required to accept the updated terms to continue using the platform, with additional confirmations required for underage users involving parental or guardian review. However, ongoing website errors prevented some users from viewing or reviewing these changes, raising concerns about transparency during the rollout.
The timing of the technical issues led some users to speculate about a possible connection between the policy updates and the platform’s instability, though no evidence has been publicly presented to confirm such a link.
Privacy Policy Revisions Renew Data Concerns
According to reporting by Newsweek and The New York Times, the updated privacy policy reinforces existing restrictions preventing children under 13 from accessing TikTok’s full features. It also expands provisions related to targeted advertising and location tracking for users who opt in.
The revised policy also states that the newly structured U.S. TikTok entity may share certain data with TikTok’s global operations to maintain consistency and functionality across regions. This disclosure has reignited debate over cross-border data sharing, even as TikTok seeks to assure regulators that U.S. user data is protected under the new ownership model.
Privacy advocates have long scrutinized TikTok’s data practices, and the latest changes are likely to remain under close examination as regulators assess whether the restructuring sufficiently addresses national security and privacy concerns.
