Newsom probing TikTok over alleged suppression of anti-Trump content under new ownership

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced an investigation into allegations that TikTok has been censoring content critical of President Trump. The Democratic governor, known for his vocal criticism of the President, took to social media to declare, “It’s time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content.”

This comes in the wake of TikTok’s recent announcement of a new joint venture to operate its U.S. business, reducing Chinese ownership to 19.9% and placing majority control in the hands of American businesses, including allies of President Trump. The move aims to address national security concerns raised by Washington over TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.

Governor Newsom’s office revealed that they have received reports and independently confirmed instances of suppressed content critical of President Trump following TikTok’s sale to a Trump-aligned business group. A screenshot shared by Newsom showed a TikTok user unable to send a message containing the word “epstein” due to a violation of the platform’s community guidelines. The reference to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender with ties to President Trump, has sparked intense scrutiny.

In response to the allegations, TikTok attributed the content-related issues to ongoing technical difficulties. The platform has been under increasing pressure to address concerns over censorship and transparency in its content moderation practices.

As the investigation unfolds, Governor Newsom’s probe into TikTok’s censorship practices will shed light on the platform’s handling of politically sensitive content. The outcome of this inquiry will have implications for the future of social media regulation and free speech online.

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