TikTok Users Faced Major Service Disruption as Oracle Data Center Power Outage Disrupts Operations

American TikTok users faced significant service disruptions over the weekend after a weather-related power failure struck an Oracle data center that supports the platform’s infrastructure. Oracle, which provides critical cloud services for TikTok’s U.S. operations, confirmed through a spokesperson that the temporary outage led to the complications experienced by the app’s millions of American users.

The technical failures that users faced included login errors and video loading problems, leaving the social media community struggling to access their accounts and content. TikTok and Oracle both acknowledged the infrastructure incident and stated they were working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

The Root Cause Behind the Outage

An unexpected power disruption at Oracle’s data center triggered a cascade of technical issues that users faced when attempting to use the platform. According to Reuters, Oracle’s Michael Egbert explained in official communications that the weather-related failure was temporary in nature, though its effects rippled across multiple U.S. regions where TikTok maintains its user base. The incident highlighted the critical dependency of TikTok’s U.S. operations on Oracle’s infrastructure capabilities.

Strategic Context: The Ownership Transition

The timing of this outage occurred amid significant developments in TikTok’s U.S. ownership structure. ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, recently finalized an agreement to establish TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, marking a shift toward majority American ownership. This transition was necessary to comply with a 2024 bipartisan law that required TikTok to either change ownership or cease operations in the United States due to national security considerations.

The new governance structure places majority control with a U.S.-aligned board, with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison—a prominent Trump administration ally—playing a central role in the restructured ownership model. The incident, while primarily technical, occurs during a period of heightened scrutiny over the platform’s operational reliability and the effectiveness of its new U.S. infrastructure arrangements.

Market Response

Oracle’s stock experienced volatility following reports of the outage, with initial declines followed by recovery in after-hours trading, reflecting investor sentiment around the broader technical incident and its swift resolution.