California launches investigation into TikTok over potential content suppression of anti-Trump posts

The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has initiated an investigation into TikTok following reports that the platform may have censored content critical of former President Donald Trump. The investigation comes after the recent US spin-off deal of TikTok, after which users reported technical issues including ‘zero views’ on new posts and missing political content. TikTok has attributed these problems to a data center power outage and infrastructure issues, denying a connection to the ownership change. Nevertheless, Newsom’s office has independently confirmed instances of content suppression and plans to review whether TikTok has violated state laws. Users have also reported restrictions when messaging keywords such as ‘Epstein,’ leading to speculation that the new US owners may be censoring certain content. Social media posts by users and celebrities, like actress Meg Stalter, have expressed concerns over censorship and monitoring under TikTok’s new ownership. Additionally, the US-based TikTok venture, partly managed by Oracle, is adjusting its algorithms and monitoring systems. While technical issues may explain some of the disruptions, the political nature of affected content has triggered wider scrutiny. The investigation will determine if TikTok’s practices under its US management infringe on legal and ethical standards regarding free expression and content visibility.