California Governor Gavin Newsom’s probe into TikTok’s alleged suppression of anti-Trump content ignites a debate over censorship and technical glitches.
Story Highlights
- Governor Newsom launches an investigation into TikTok for allegedly censoring content critical of President Trump.
- TikTok’s recent ownership change involves Trump-backed investors, raising questions about censorship motives.
- TikTok attributes content visibility issues to a data center outage, not deliberate suppression.
- The probe may set a precedent for state oversight of national social media platforms.
Newsom’s Investigation into TikTok
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state investigation into TikTok for allegedly suppressing content critical of President Donald Trump. The probe follows complaints that certain videos received zero or unusually low views. This investigation comes shortly after TikTok finalized a $14-billion deal to spin off its U.S. operations into a joint venture with American investors, including Trump supporter Larry Ellison.
Newsom’s office cited independently confirmed instances of suppressed anti-Trump content, including blocked references to Jeffrey Epstein. The governor’s action reflects a broader concern about potential censorship favoring Trump, contrasting TikTok’s explanation of technical glitches. TikTok claims a U.S. data center power outage caused the issues, affecting content visibility.
Gavin Newsom accuses TikTok of suppressing content critical of Trump
➡️ https://t.co/XfbZbV4fDH pic.twitter.com/Zd7Vy4znPX— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) January 27, 2026
TikTok’s New Ownership and Technical Explanations
TikTok’s recent ownership change has become a focal point of the discussion. The deal reduced Chinese ownership to 19.9%, with majority control transferred to American investors like Oracle and Silver Lake. This arrangement was seen as a strategic move to alleviate national security concerns and avoid a nationwide ban. However, the involvement of Trump-aligned investors has sparked scrutiny over content moderation practices.
Despite the allegations, TikTok attributes the reported issues to a technical outage rather than intentional censorship. Thousands of users reported experiencing zero views on their content, which TikTok claims resulted from a cascading failure caused by a power outage at a U.S. data center. The company has not issued a public response beyond acknowledging the outage.
Implications of the Investigation
The investigation led by Governor Newsom could have significant implications for both TikTok and social media platforms as a whole. In the short term, findings from the California Department of Justice could lead to fines or lawsuits if intentional censorship is proven. This situation may also escalate U.S.-China tech tensions.
In the long term, the probe could set a precedent for state oversight of national platforms, potentially influencing how social media companies handle content moderation. The investigation underscores the need for transparency and accountability in platform policies, particularly when ownership changes involve politically connected investors.
Sources:
Newsom Probing TikTok over Alleged Suppression of Anti-Trump Content
California Governor Investigates Alleged Suppression of Anti-Trump TikTok Content
Newsom to Review if TikTok is Censoring Trump-Critical Content
California Will Investigate TikTok’s Alleged Censorship of Anti-Trump Posts
