TikTok Outage Affects Over 32,000 Users on May 15, 2025

By Hamza, DigitalNomadDiary.xyz

On the afternoon of May 15, 2025, more than 32,000 users reported problems with the popular social media app TikTok, according to reports on DownDetector.com.

Key Facts

TikTok users began reporting issues around 4:15 p.m. EDT, and the number of reports rose to more than 32,000 by 4:45 p.m. EDT, as per DownDetector.

Background

TikTok, a Chinese-owned video-sharing platform, gained significant popularity in the U.S. around 2019. As of 2024, approximately 170 million Americans were using the platform, according to The New York Times.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to ban TikTok amid concerns that the Chinese government was accessing U.S. user data through the app. The ban was initially blocked, but the controversy resurfaced when President Joe Biden signed a law last year requiring TikTok to be sold or banned. This year, Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban for 75 days, which was later extended to allow more time for negotiations.

Big Number

33% — That’s the percentage of adults who said they used TikTok in a Pew Research Center survey last summer. This is a notable increase from 21% in 2021.

Current Situation

By 5:30 p.m. EDT, reports of outages had dropped to around 13,300 on DownDetector. The majority of issues reported (79%) were related to the app itself, while 20% were server connection issues, and 1% involved the website.

As of 5:05 p.m. EDT, TikTok’s support and communications accounts had not addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter).

What’s Next?

Forbes has reached out to TikTok for a comment regarding the outage but has not received a response as of the time of reporting.

FAQs

  • What caused the TikTok outage? The exact cause is unclear, but most reports indicate app-related and server connection issues.
  • How many users were affected? More than 32,000 users reported issues during the peak of the outage.
  • Did TikTok respond to the outage? As of the latest update, TikTok has not released an official statement regarding the outage.
  • Is TikTok usage still increasing in the U.S.? Yes, TikTok usage among U.S. adults increased from 21% in 2021 to 33% in 2024, as per Pew Research Center.
  • What are the political implications for TikTok? TikTok remains under scrutiny due to concerns about data privacy and its connection to the Chinese government.