US TikTok is learning how quickly a user base can turn on a platform that changes the rules. In the days since the app’s American operations shifted to new ownership, uninstall rates in the United States have jumped roughly 150%, a sharp reversal for a service that once seemed untouchable. The spike reflects a volatile mix of politics, privacy fears, and creator anxiety that is reshaping what had been one of the country’s most powerful cultural engines.
Instead of celebrating a new era of “local control,” many US users are treating the ownership handoff as a breaking point. I see the surge in deletions as less a sudden rejection of short‑form video and more a referendum on trust, data, and who gets to set the terms of online speech.
The 150% uninstall spike and what it really signals
The headline number is stark: multiple analytics snapshots show US TikTok uninstalls rising by roughly 150% in the immediate aftermath of the app’s transfer to American control. One dataset, drawn from app store tracking, describes a nearly 150% increase in removals over a five‑day window, while also noting a parallel jump in new downloads as curious users reinstall or test the “US TikTok” experience. Another report on the same period characterizes the change as a nearly 150% rise in US app deletions, paired with a 919% increase in downloads, underscoring how churn rather than pure abandonment is driving the numbers.
What stands out to me is that this is not a slow drift away from a maturing platform, it is a shock event. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower is cited across several accounts as the underlying source for the uninstall surge, and its data has been echoed in investor‑facing briefings that describe US deletions rising nearly 150% following the joint venture announcement. Social clips amplifying the story on Instagram repeat the same figure, with one post noting that, according to Sensor Tower, US TikTok is facing a “major exodus” as uninstall rates spike by 150%. When the same metric shows up in investor notes, tech coverage, and viral reels, it is a sign that the number has become a shorthand for a broader backlash.
Who owns “US TikTok” now, and why that matters
To understand the reaction, I start with the new power structure. TikTok’s US operations are now controlled by a joint venture that gives American investors majority ownership, with Oracle highlighted as a key partner and infrastructure provider. Reporting on the deal notes that ByteDance, TikTok’s original parent, retains a stake but has ceded day‑to‑day control of the US product to the new entity, often described as “US TikTok.” A detailed breakdown of the ownership group credits Lauren Forristal with outlining how Oracle fits into the structure, and how the arrangement is meant to satisfy US national security demands without fully severing ties to ByteDance.
Another layer of scrutiny has focused on the personalities behind the deal. Coverage of the takeover has zeroed in on a Florida billionaire and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, describing how he emerged as a central figure in the new ownership bloc. One profile, by Lianna Norman C. A. Bridges for the USA TODAY NETWORK, details how the agreement reshapes control of the app and flags that users were prompted to accept new terms and conditions to keep using it. Social commentary has picked up on this angle too, with one widely shared Instagram post bluntly stating that TikTok uninstalls have surged 150% following Larry Ellison’s takeover, turning his name into a shorthand for the platform’s new political and cultural direction.
Privacy policy changes and the geolocation flashpoint
Ownership alone does not usually trigger a mass uninstall event, and the timing here is tightly intertwined with a sweeping update to TikTok’s US terms of service and privacy policy. Users opening the app were met with a new agreement that expanded the categories of data the platform can collect and clarified how that information can be shared within the new corporate structure. One detailed explainer walks through how the updated policy addresses personal information, including geolocation, and notes that the app can now gather more precise location data unless users actively restrict it in their device settings, a shift that has alarmed privacy advocates and some lawmakers. A separate report on the same policy, published by CBS News, underscores that the new terms give US TikTok broad latitude over how it uses personal information, including data that can be tied back to individual devices.
Privacy groups have responded by urging users to lock down their settings or walk away entirely. One segment on the updated policy quotes Consumer advocates who recommend turning off precise location tracking inside social apps whenever possible, citing the risk that detailed movement data can be combined with other identifiers to build invasive profiles. In that context, the uninstall spike looks less like a partisan protest and more like a rational response from users who feel they have lost control over who sees where they go and what they watch. When a platform that already knows your habits suddenly asks for even more granular access, a 150% jump in deletions starts to look like a predictable outcome.
Creators, culture, and the fear of a different Tik Tok
Beyond privacy, the ownership shift has rattled the creators who turned TikTok into a cultural force. Many built careers on the assumption that the platform’s recommendation engine and content rules would remain relatively stable, or at least predictable. Now, with a new US‑based board and infrastructure partner, there is widespread uncertainty about whether political pressure will translate into tighter moderation of controversial topics, changes to how the algorithm treats certain communities, or new monetization rules that favor established media brands over independent voices. A widely shared explainer video on YouTube, titled with the slightly old‑school spelling “Tik Tok,” captures this anxiety, noting that the company has not clearly explained what the new structure means for creators and warning that, despite the spike in deletions, many influencers feel too financially dependent on the app to leave.
Social feeds are full of anecdotal evidence that some creators are hedging their bets. Short clips on Instagram highlight how US TikTok deletions are up 150% after the joint venture announcement, then pivot to ask viewers whether they are shifting their energy to Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or Snapchat Spotlight. The underlying message is that attention, not any single app, is the real currency, and creators will follow it wherever audiences go. For now, many are staying put while quietly building backup channels, a strategy that reflects both skepticism about US TikTok’s new direction and a pragmatic recognition that the platform still commands enormous reach.
What the uninstall wave means for US TikTok’s future
From a business perspective, the 150% surge in deletions is a warning shot rather than a death sentence. Detailed app store data shows that while daily average uninstalls have climbed sharply, they are accompanied by a notable increase in new installs and reinstalls, suggesting that a significant share of users are experimenting rather than permanently exiting. One breakdown of the numbers notes that US TikTok’s daily average uninstalls rose by roughly 150% after the joint venture was announced, but also points out that the app remains near the top of the download charts. Another analysis, focused on the early days of the US joint venture, reports that TikTok users have been deleting the app at a higher rate since the company said its American operations would be housed in a new entity, linking the uninstall spike directly to the joint venture and the updated privacy policy.
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