SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — A video that seemed to disappear into the void suddenly surged with thousands of views days later. This is the kind of unpredictable shift that some TikTok creators and users say is becoming more common.
When Alec Scrippa, a Syracuse content creator, noticed one of his posts stuck at zero views for hours before jumping dramatically, it added to growing questions about how TikTok is distributing content amid recent ownership and moderation changes.
“I posted a video and I checked it a few hours later. It was at zero,” said Scrippa, known as Mr. Syracuse to his over 17,000 TikTok followers. “Twelve hours later, still at zero… another 24 hours goes past, and I look at it and it’s at like 20,000 views.”
Scrippa’s experience comes as TikTok recently underwent a drastic change in ownership, where it was forced to divest from its Chinese owners or risk being banned in the United States.
A joint venture to create a new U.S. TikTok included Oracle, MGX, Emarati investment firm, and others. According to the New York Times, the investors collectively own over an 80 percent stake in the app, while the former parent company, Bytedance, retains less than 20 percent.
TikTok has become a primary source of entertainment and news for younger audiences, according to Pew Research, but recent shifts in how the app surfaces content are leaving some users questioning what they see on their feeds and why.
Zoe Hammond, a TikTok user who both posts and consumes content on the app, said she has noticed changes in what appears on her “For You” page.
“I feel like there’s a lot more news content on my page than there has been in the past,” Hammond said. “I’ve seen a lot of repeat videos… and honestly, I don’t really want to see it.”
She added that while she does get news from TikTok, she now takes it “with a grain of salt… especially because of all the changes going on with the app and just all the misinformation that’s being spread.”
Creators say the uncertainty affects more than just entertainment; it can influence careers. Thomas O’Brien, project coordinator at Syracuse University’s Center for the Creator Economy, said reliance on a single platform can be risky.
“No matter how many followers you have, you don’t actually own them,” O’Brien said. “If all of a sudden your views go down, that might not have anything to do with you as a journalist or as a creator, but the platform itself not wanting to push you.”
O’Brien said moderation and algorithm decisions also shape how audiences receive information.
He touched on how the concern extends beyond individual creators to the broader public, especially younger users who may not realize how much algorithms filter what appears on their feeds. O’Brien said this makes media literacy and cross-checking information more important than ever.
“A lot of people actually are getting informed through TikTok,” O’Brien said. “If the app is navigating them toward a specific type of journalist or influencer… the platform should not have that sort of power.”
For Scrippa, whose content highlights Syracuse life and real estate, TikTok remains an important connection point.
Scrippa said the platform allows him to reach residents, students, and potential homebuyers in a way traditional marketing cannot, making visibility crucial to his community engagement. Changes that limit reach, he said, could affect not only creators but also how people discover local information.
“I truly love and enjoy making content for the people of Syracuse,” Scrippa said, adding he would be disappointed if the platform disappeared.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: TikTok Shifts
Trinity Corbett: For many, TikTok is more than just an app for viral trends and dances. It’s where people learn about current events, social issues, and what’s happening in their communities. But lately, some users fear that may change.
Zoe Hammond: I feel like there’s a lot more news content on my page than there has been in the past, and a lot of it is, like, honestly hateful content.
Corbett: TikTok recently underwent a drastic change in ownership, where it was forced to divest from its Chinese owners or risk being banned in the United States. Since this shift, some users have noticed several differences in the way they view content.
Alyssa Pena: A lot about ICE is just not being shown on your “For You” page, and if it is, I think it’s more of, like, pro-ICE content, at least from what I’ve noticed.
Corbett: Alec Scrippa, known on TikTok as Mr. Syracuse, shared how one day after the shift, he experienced some issues while trying to upload a video.
Alec Scrippa: It was 12 hours later, the next morning, still at zero, nothing. I kept reloading it, refreshing it. I asked one of my friends, hey, can you check my account? And he’s like, yeah, it’s not there. And I’m like, OK, well, it’s posted on my end, so what’s going on here?
Corbett: Other users seem to be overwhelmed with the influx of information.
Ella Parker-Brionnes: And I’m getting almost, like, too much information about what’s going on in the news, and it’s kind of freaking me out a little bit.
Corbett: Despite his brief mishap, Mr. Syracuse doesn’t seem to be too worried about the future of his content on the platform.
Scrippa: So I don’t know if there’s going to be that much of a change in my content because I make content about the area rather than, like, doomscroll content that you could just consume about cats or something.
Corbett: Although there is some speculation about censorship on the app, Thomas O’Brien from the Syracuse University Creator Economy says it’s possible, but there’s not enough data currently to confirm.
Thomas O’Brien: The people who own TikTok and the new ownership that exists on TikTok in the United States, they do have the capacity to drive people towards certain narratives.
Corbett: As the app evolves under new ownership, users must wait to see whether the change will have a negative impact on the way they utilize TikTok. In Syracuse, Trinity Corbett, NCC News.