In the United States, many TikTok users are starting to leave the app. This change did not happen because TikTok stopped working, but because of a major change in who owns the platform. After years of political pressure, TikTok agreed to create a new joint venture that is now mostly owned by American investors. U.S. officials were worried about data security and foreign influence linked to TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
TikTok says that under this new structure, American user data and the recommendation algorithm are protected by U.S. laws. The company also promised stronger security and clearer rules. However, many users were not reassured. Shortly after the deal, users had to accept a new privacy policy. This policy mentioned that TikTok may collect sensitive data such as precise location, private messages, and personal information.
At the same time, technical problems appeared. Videos loaded slowly, uploads failed, and some creators saw their content receive no views. TikTok explained these problems as temporary technical issues, but many users suspected censorship. Some creators claimed that political content critical of President Trump was being limited. TikTok denied this.
Although the app still has more than 200 million users in the U.S., trust has been damaged. Many users now question who controls TikTok, how their data is used, and whether the platform can still be trusted.
Vocabulary:
• ownership (noun): who legally controls or owns something
• joint venture (noun): a business owned by two or more groups
• data security (noun): protection of personal information
• privacy policy (noun): rules explaining how personal data is used
• sensitive data (noun): private information that needs protection
• to collect (verb): to gather information or data
• censorship (noun): control or limitation of content or speech
• to deny (verb): to say something is not true
• technical issues (noun): problems with technology or systems
• to trust (verb): to believe something is safe or honest