TikTok uploads are broken

Many TikTok users are currently unable to post to the app due to a strange issue affecting uploads to the video app. While the app appears to be functional, many users are finding that videos are not actually uploading, despite appearing on their profiles. Others, including Dave Jorgenson, who runs the popular TikTok account for The Washington Post, have reported that TikTok is notifying them that their videos are “under review.”

TikTok confirmed that it’s aware of the issues, but didn’t immediately elaborate on the source of the problem, or how many users are affected. It appears to be widespread, according to downdetector.com, a website that tracks outages. “We're aware of an issue that’s currently causing some users to experience a delay in videos being posted,” TikTok tweeted from its support account. “Our team is actively working on a fix, and we'll follow up here with updates.”

While TikTok has experienced technical problems in the past, the fact that it’s only affecting uploads has fueled talk of “shadowbanning,” a popular conspiracy theory that claims platforms will hide some users’ content from public feeds without notifying them. Likewise the timing of the problems — reports began to spike minutes after the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, according to downdetector — has also raised some eyebrows as many users are currently trying to post about the trial.