Is TikTok Done After The US Takeover
A year ago, TikTok users were staging mock funerals for the app, bracing for a nationwide ban. Today, the platform is alive, but the mourning has turned into an exodus. Following its separation from ByteDance, the U.S. version of TikTok is now under the control of the leadership behind Oracle, Paramount+, and CBS. With this change in ownership came immediate and controversial updates to the app’s terms of service.
Skepticism grew when users began testing for censorship. Many discovered that content regarding ICE was being restricted, and the name “Epstein” became a blocked term in private messages. While the new owners attributed these glitches to a power outage, many users reported that their content was still being suppressed as recently as Monday, January 26.
This shift in climate has prompted a migration to a new platform called UpScrolled. For many activists and creators, the new TikTok feels like a trap. Jamira Burley, writing on her Substack, expressed that when wealthy investors and political pressures dictate the rules, the voices of the marginalized are the first to be silenced. She noted that Black, Queer, disabled, and low-income storytellers, as well as organizers and artists, are the ones most vulnerable to these new restrictions.
The sentiment shared by those leaving the app is one of community over commerce. As Burley noted, the “magic” created by these creators isn’t tied to a specific piece of software. Many are now seeking digital spaces that are slower, more intentional, and built on genuine care rather than clout or corporate control.
