‘It’s really sad’: US TikTok users rethink app over concerns about privacy and censorship

Many TikTok users across the US say they’re rethinking their relationship with the platform since its ownership and terms and conditions have recently changed, with some citing censorship and lack of trust as reasons why they’re removing themselves from the app.Keara Sullivan, a 26-year-old comedian, says TikTok jumpstarted her career and provided a pathway to getting a manager and a literary agent.“I’m not one of those creators who’s a TikTok hater,” said Sullivan, who has more than half a million followers on the platform. “I’m very transparent about the fact that where I am in my career is largely because of TikTok.”That’s why, she said, it’s “really sad” for her to step away from the platform – at least for now.TikTok, the short-form video platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has faced scrutiny after the decision to create a new US-based entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, in an effort to avoid being banned in the country. Investors in the majority US-owned venture include Oracle, which is owned by Trump ally Larry Ellison, the private equity-group Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX, who will own 80.1% of the new entity. ByteDance will own the remaining 19.9%.The announcement was made five years after Donald Trump first threatened to ban the popular app in the US during his first term in office.TikTok’s new deal has been accompanied by changes to app’s terms and conditions, reports of technical issues and a growing debate among users and creators about privacy and censorship. The daily average of US users deleting the TikTok app has increased 195% from 22 Januaryto 28 January compared to the previous 90 days, according to data collected by Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm.Many social media users have voiced concern over language in the app’s terms and conditions, which specifically point out the types of data that TikTok may collect on its users, including “racial and ethnic origin” and “sexual life or sexual orientation, status as transgender or nonbinary, citizenship or immigration status, or financial information”. That language was present in the previous version of platform’s terms, which were updated in 2024, but one noticeable new feature in the terms is the explicit acknowledgment that TikTok collects precise location data (unless you opt out), as reported by Mashable.TikTok user Julia, a 32-year-old caregiver based in Washington, told the Guardian that she deleted the app as soon as she heard about the company’s new agreement.“I trust Oracle and Ellison about as much as I trust eating a raw burger on a hot summer day,” she said.After the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents on 24 January, some content creators expressed concern that videos condemning the federal agency were being suppressed by TikTok.Comedian Meg Stalter said in an Instagram post that a video she made urging fellow Christians to speak up against ICE tactics was not being uploaded to the app. In response, she decided to delete the app.“[TikTok] is under new ownership and we are being completely censored and monitored,” she wrote in her post.California governor Gavin Newsom also voiced concern about potential TikTok censorship this past week, writing on X: “Following TikTok’s sale to a Trump-aligned business group, our office has received reports, and independently confirmed instances, of suppressed content critical of President Trump.” Newsom announced that the state will be launching an investigation into the platform and whether it is violating California law by censoring anti-Trump content.TikTok USDS Joint Venture attributed the issues to a power outage at a US datacenter, unrelated to the weekend’s events. On 27 January, the entity issued the following statement: “We’ve made significant progress in recovering our U.S. infrastructure with our U.S. data center partner. However, the U.S. user experience may still have some technical issues, including when posting new content. We’re committed to bringing TikTok back to its full capacity as soon as possible.”A 21-year-old software engineer, who asked to remain anonymous, first encountered TikTok in 2020 as a high school junior.“I was amazed how quickly it learned my interests, kept up with trends and recommended things I would’ve never sought out myself,” he said. “For better or for worse, I was probably using it at least four hours a day.”He says he stayed on the app for so long due to the quality of his algorithm; but after TikTok’s temporary shutdown in the US in January 2025, he began to notice differences.“I didn’t like how the pop-up message painted Trump as the ‘savior’ that would bring back TikTok once he was in office,” he said. “After it was brought back, I noticed a significant decline in recommendation quality.”Sullivan also noticed major changes following TikTok’s brief blackout, including a reduction in the income she was receiving through the company’s Creator Fund. She ultimately made the decision to pivot away from TikTok after noticing potential censorship issues, including the banning of Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda, who had 1.4 million followers on the app. Even before TikTok found its US owner, Sullivan knew that it was in her best interest to disseminate her content far and wide.“In the internet ecosphere, you kind of have to create these different avenues for yourself, because you can’t rely on one platform,” she said. “The algorithm could change at any time.”