TikTok’s American audience is experiencing upheaval as the platform transitions to U.S.-based control under new ownership. With Oracle servers now hosting U.S. accounts, many users have expressed concern that content moderation could shift to align with political interests. The platform also suffered recent instability due to a power outage at a U.S. data center, compounding user frustration.

As a result, alternative platforms are seeing rapid growth. UpScrolled, an Instagram-style social app, experienced server crashes over the weekend due to high demand. Open-source TikTok rival Skylight recorded a 150% spike in new sign-ups, while visual messaging app Yope, popular in Australia following local teen social media restrictions, is gaining traction in the U.S.

Despite speculation of potential government influence over TikTok content, the platform attributes disruptions to technical issues. Analysts are debating whether these developments signal a temporary shift in user behavior or a longer-term migration toward alternative social apps.

Read more: Marketing Dive