TikTok is experiencing a notable surge in app uninstalls among U.S. users following the announcement of a new joint venture aimed at restructuring its American operations. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported that daily uninstalls of TikTok have spiked nearly 150% over the past five days compared to the previous three months. This uptick follows TikTok’s declaration last Thursday of a new leadership structure, appointing Adam Presser-TikTok’s former head of operations-as CEO of the joint venture.
Despite the change in management, many users have expressed skepticism, particularly regarding an updated privacy policy that users were prompted to accept. This policy outlines the types of data TikTok may collect, including sensitive information like racial or ethnic origins, sexual orientation, and financial status. Notably, this language is not new; an archived version of the policy from August 2024 contains similar provisions. Nevertheless, concerns over data privacy have influenced user sentiment and led to the recent wave of app deletions.
Amidst this controversy, creators on the platform are voicing their frustrations. Dre Ronayne, a TikTok creator with nearly 400,000 followers, shared on Threads, “If I can delete my biggest platform because their terms of agreement and censorship have gotten out of control, so can you!” Other users have reported difficulties with the app, noting issues with video uploads and outages.
Creators have expressed uncertainty about what the new joint venture means for their content, contributing to a growing sense of anxiety. Nadya Okamoto, a creator with over 4 million followers, stated, “That’s why there is so much paranoia, because we’re all kind of looking at this platform and we just don’t know what’s happening.” Okamoto mentioned that she faced issues uploading videos for about a day and has started sharing her content on Instagram and YouTube during this period of instability.
Discussions are rife on social media regarding whether the current turbulence indicates censorship or if it’s merely coincidental. Okamoto added, “For everything to be happening at once, it is very scary.” Meanwhile, an account linked to the TikTok joint venture cited a power outage at a U.S. data center as the cause of recent service disruptions, reassuring users that they are working to resolve the issue.
Interestingly, the increase in uninstalls has not significantly impacted TikTok’s user engagement, with active usage remaining consistent compared to the week prior, according to Sensor Tower. However, rival platforms have seen notable increases in interest. UpScrolled’s downloads surged more than tenfold, while Skylight Social rose by 919%, and the Chinese-owned app Rednote experienced a 53% increase week over week.
As TikTok navigates these challenges and shifts in policy, the platform’s ability to retain its user base while addressing privacy concerns remains to be seen. The situation continues to evolve, and the impact on creators and users alike is likely to unfold in the coming days. TikTok has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding the recent developments.
Original Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/26/tiktok-uninstalls-are-up-150percent-following-us-joint-venture.html
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Publish Date: 2026-01-27 03:19:00
