During PNW Daily's live stream, TikTok’s automated moderation systems issued two restrictions in an obvious error on Friday.
FERNDALE, Wash. — TikTok disruptions have been reported by users across the United States with posting and livestream issues since late last week, following a platform ownership change on Jan. 22.
PNW Daily has not been able to publish new TikTok videos since Sunday due to recurring upload errors and account instability. The problems began after TikTok required users to accept updated terms governing use of the platform under its new U.S. operating structure.
TikTok attributes problems to infrastructure failure
TikTok said a power outage at a U.S.-based data center partner triggered the disruptions.
In an official statement, the company said the outage caused system failures that affected uploads, livestreams, and content processing. TikTok said engineering teams continue working to restore full service, though some features remain unstable.
TikTok said the outage did not involve content policy changes. The company also said user data remains secure.
Moderation flags during first livestream
PNW Daily accepted the updated terms of service Friday morning and went live later that day for the first time under the new ownership structure.
The livestream took place at the U.S.-Canada border. The discussion was informal and focused on regional topics. Viewers heard conversation about the Seattle Seahawks, cross-border travel, and Canadian attendance at the weekend playoff game.
During the livestream, TikTok moderation systems issued two restrictions that caught viewers and host off guard. One cited bullying and harassing language. The other cited harmful content.
TikTok did not specify which statements triggered the restrictions and unlike past warnings, there was no appeal option to excuse the error.
At the time, the camera remained fixed on the border gate while walking in the Peace Arch park. The discussion did not include political advocacy, policy debate, or calls to action. In other words, we were not discussing ICE.
It appears now, TikTok is calling these moments “system errors.”
Ownership transition and platform changes
TikTok restructured its U.S. operations earlier this month into a new domestic entity. The company said the change aims to meet federal regulatory requirements and strengthen data protections.
TikTok said the ownership transition did not introduce new moderation rules or enforcement standards, but users were required to agree to new terms of service.
Impact on regional publishers
Independent outlets rely on our TikTok channel for live reporting and border information. Continued instability has limited that reach during the recovery period and we do apologize.
What we have seen is that creators having issues have been told to be patient and wait out any technical issues, but there are reports that app deletions have spiked as users try and re-upload the app to improve performance.
This does not improve or change performance of the app in any way.
PNW Daily immediately paused operations on Sunday trying to troubleshoot the problems internally at first, thinking it was a possible service provider issue or phone damage. It wasn’t until other trusted creators began posting issues that we realized it was a platform issue. PNW Daily will resume normal posting once TikTok restores full functionality, but this is why we diversified our channels and added coverage at PNWDaily.com and other platforms.
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