TikTok uninstalls surge 150% after app’s US takeover

The news: US users are deleting TikTok at a rapid rate following the app’s transfer to US ownership, with removals jumping nearly 150% in the five days after the deal, according to Sensor Tower data shared with CNBC. While the surge hasn’t led to a major loss of US users, the wave of uninstalls could be a sign of troubles to come for the new US TikTok venture.

• Users shared their reasons for uninstalling on social media, with many citing TikTok’s updated privacy policy, including language stating that TikTok may collect data like “racial or ethnic origin,” “citizenship or immigration status,” and “sexual orientation.”
• CNBC noted that the language does not appear to be new and can be found in an archived August 2024 version.
• Sensor Tower also pointed to new interest in competing apps: Social networking app UpScrolled saw US downloads grow more than tenfold compared with a week prior, while Rednote downloads grew 53% and Skylight Social grew 919% in the same period.