California Launches Investigation Into TikTok Over Alleged Political Censorship

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a formal review into reports that the social media platform TikTok may have censored content critical of former President Donald Trump. The investigation follows user complaints of diminished visibility of certain posts after the app’s US operations were recently restructured under a domestic ownership deal.

The probe comes amid growing concern over how TikTok’s US transition could affect content moderation and political speech. Thousands of American users reported issues such as “zero views” on new posts and restricted access to political videos, including content addressing the recent federal law enforcement shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

TikTok attributed the widespread technical issues to a “major infrastructure problem” caused by a data center power outage, rather than deliberate content suppression. However, Newsom’s office said it has independently confirmed instances of content critical of Trump being suppressed and is now evaluating potential violations of state law.

Users Report Limited Visibility of Political Content

Reports of content restriction emerged shortly after TikTok finalized a deal to spin off its US operations last Thursday. Users described difficulty accessing political posts and sending messages containing certain keywords, including references to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Screenshots circulated on social media suggested these messages were flagged by the platform.

Social media users speculated that these restrictions could be linked to TikTok’s new US ownership, which includes investors and directors reportedly with ties to Trump. Celebrities have also raised concerns, with actress Meg Stalter stating on Instagram that she deleted her account because the platform was “under new ownership and we are being completely censored and monitored.”

Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) users voiced similar frustrations, with some questioning whether the platform’s US operations were “cooked” or compromised.

Technical Issues Affecting Visibility and Functionality

In addition to censorship concerns, US TikTok users reported broader platform disruptions beginning Sunday. According to outage monitoring service Downdetector, more than 660,000 issues were reported between Saturday and Monday, including delayed load times, missing search results, and limited access to monetization tools.

TikTok’s US parent company, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, said the issues stemmed from a power outage at an Oracle data center. The company stated it was working with the data center provider to restore full service and reassured users that their data and content engagement were not compromised.

Under the US operational deal, Oracle will inspect and retrain a separate version of TikTok’s algorithm for American users. The cloud giant holds a 15% stake in the US-based entity, one of three managing investors.

Ongoing Review by California Authorities

Governor Newsom signaled that the state would examine whether TikTok’s content moderation practices align with California law. His office emphasized that the review would focus on verified reports of political content suppression, without speculating on technical causes or corporate intentions.

The BBC has reached out to TikTok’s US parent company for comment on the censorship allegations. Newsom’s announcement underscores heightened scrutiny of social media platforms in the United States, particularly regarding political speech and transparency following ownership changes.