TikTok has successfully reclaimed its audience following a brief but sharp decline in daily active users (DAU) triggered by its recent U.S. ownership transition. While the platform saw a temporary exodus toward competitors like UpScrolled and Skylight Social, data indicates that the majority of users have returned to the app.
The Usage Rebound: By the Numbers
Digital intelligence firm Similarweb reports that TikTok’s U.S. daily active users dipped to between 86 and 88 million immediately following the ownership change—a notable drop from its typical 92 million average. However, the platform has since stabilized, climbing back above the 90 million mark.
During the interim, alternative platforms experienced a surge in traffic. UpScrolled peaked at 138,500 daily active users on January 28, though that figure has since corrected to 68,000. Similarly, Skylight Social saw its DAU reach 81,200 before settling at 56,300, despite reporting a total of 380,000 new sign-ups by late January.
Privacy Concerns and Technical Glitches
The temporary migration was fueled by a “perfect storm” of user anxiety and platform instability. Much of the backlash stemmed from TikTok’s updated privacy policy, which introduced language regarding precise GPS tracking—likely linked to the testing of a “Nearby” feed.
Misunderstandings also played a role in the user exodus. Many users flagged alarming clauses in the privacy policy, such as the potential collection of “immigration status.” TikTok clarified that this language was a compliance measure required by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), intended to cover sensitive data that might be inadvertently shared by users within their own video content.
The Role of Infrastructure Failures
Compounding the ownership-related fears was a multi-day data center outage. The technical malfunction disrupted core features, including search, comments, and the recommendation algorithm. These glitches led to widespread user speculation regarding potential content censorship, prompting many to seek reliable alternatives.
TikTok confirmed that the outage was the result of power failures caused by severe winter storms and announced a full resolution on Sunday evening. While the platform has largely stabilized, market analysts note that TikTok’s peak of 100 million daily active users—recorded between July and October 2025—remains a benchmark the platform has yet to fully reach again as it navigates this new operational chapter.