Across the United States, a growing number of TikTok users are reconsidering their engagement with the popular short-form video platform, driven by recent changes in ownership and updated terms and conditions. Many cite concerns over privacy and censorship as primary motivations for reducing or eliminating their presence on the app, with some describing the shift as a "really sad" necessity.
User Reactions to Ownership and Policy Shifts
Keara Sullivan, a 26-year-old comedian with over half a million followers, credits TikTok with jumpstarting her career by helping her secure a manager and a literary agent. "I'm very transparent about the fact that where I am in my career is largely because of TikTok," she stated. However, Sullivan has decided to step away from the platform, at least temporarily, expressing disappointment over the changes. This sentiment is echoed by other users who feel compelled to reassess their reliance on the app.
Details of the New US Entity and Terms
TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has established a new US-based entity called TikTok USDS Joint Venture to avoid a potential ban in the country. This venture is majority-owned by US investors, including Oracle, led by Trump ally Larry Ellison, the private equity group Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi's MGX, collectively holding 80.1% of the entity. ByteDance retains the remaining 19.9%. The announcement comes five years after former President Donald Trump first threatened to ban the app during his initial term.
Accompanying this deal are updates to TikTok's terms and conditions, which have sparked debate among users. Notably, the terms now explicitly acknowledge the collection of precise location data unless users opt out, building on previous language that included data on racial and ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and financial information. According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, the daily average of US users deleting the TikTok app surged by 195% from January 22 to January 28, 2025, compared to the previous 90 days.
Censorship Concerns and Technical Issues
Reports of content suppression have further fueled user anxiety. Following the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents on January 24, 2025, some creators alleged that videos condemning the federal agency were being suppressed on TikTok. Comedian Meg Stalter, for instance, claimed in an Instagram post that her video urging Christians to speak out against ICE tactics was not uploading, leading her to delete the app. She wrote, "[TikTok] is under new ownership and we are being completely censored and monitored."
California Governor Gavin Newsom has also voiced concerns, announcing an investigation into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring anti-Trump content. He cited reports of suppressed content critical of President Trump following the app's sale to a Trump-aligned business group. In response, TikTok USDS Joint Venture attributed recent technical issues, such as difficulties in posting content, to a power outage at a US data center, unrelated to political events.
Impact on User Experience and Creator Income
A 21-year-old software engineer, who requested anonymity, shared that he first discovered TikTok in 2020 and was impressed by its algorithm's ability to learn his interests and recommend content. However, after a temporary shutdown in January 2025, he noticed a decline in recommendation quality and expressed discomfort with pop-up messages portraying Trump as a "savior" for the app's return. Similarly, Keara Sullivan observed a reduction in income from TikTok's Creator Fund and potential censorship issues, such as the banning of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda, who had 1.4 million followers.
Sullivan emphasized the importance of diversifying content distribution across multiple platforms, stating, "In the internet ecosphere, you kind of have to create these different avenues for yourself, because you can't rely on one platform. The algorithm could change at any time." This perspective highlights a broader trend among creators seeking to mitigate risks associated with platform dependency.
