TikTok Troubles: Power Outage and Political Intrigue

Oracle blamed a weather-related power outage for TikTok's technical issues, while California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested it was linked to content suppression critical of President Trump. A new joint venture, TikTok USDS, aims to secure U.S. data, with 80.1% held by American and global investors, and 19.9% by ByteDance.

Oracle reported that a weather-related power outage in a data center led to issues for TikTok users in the U.S. California's Governor Newsom, however, suggested these issues might be tied to content suppression critical of former President Donald Trump.

Newsom announced a review to examine if TikTok's moderation practices violated state law, following reports of suppression after the app's sale to Trump-aligned groups.

The controversy follows the recent establishment of TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, a move to appease U.S. concerns over data security. The joint venture assures users that ongoing issues are solely technical and being resolved.

(With inputs from agencies.)