Newsom launches TikTok censorship probe after Trump, ICE post complaints
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is launching an investigation into whether TikTok is suppressing content critical of President Donald Trump. He raised questions about whether the platform is violating state law.
In a post on X, Newsom wrote, “Following TikTok’s sale to a Trump-aligned business group, our office has received reports — and independently confirmed instances — of suppressed content critical of President Trump.”
Politico reports Newsom’s office tested TikTok’s moderation by sending a direct message containing the name “Epstein,” a reference to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The platform blocked the message and warned it may violate community guidelines.
TikTok deal involving Trump-friendly businesses
The investigation comes just days after the Trump administration announced a deal requiring TikTok’s Chinese, ByteDance, to divest most of its U.S business or face a nationwide ban.
Under the agreement, ByteDance will retain less than a 20% stake, while an American-led investor group – including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX – takes control. Oracle, whose executive chairman Larry Ellison is a Trump ally, now oversees TikTok’s U.S. data storage and security.
The new group also controls content moderation, algorithm security, and software production for users in the United States.
Complaints over posts critical of ICE
Newsom’s probe comes as The Washington Post reports a surge of TikTok users claiming the platform delayed or suppressed videos about the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a border patrol officer in Minneapolis.
Users accused TikTok of silencing criticism of federal immigration enforcement. One woman cited by the Post said she uploaded multiple videos critical of ICE that received zero views despite having tens of thousands of followers.
CNN reported that comedian Megan Stalter attempted to post a video on TikTok calling for ICE to be abolished. Stalter said the video never appeared on the platform, prompting her to stop trying to upload it. The same video on Instagram was reposted more than 12,000 times.
Casey Fiesler, an associate professor of technology ethics and internet law at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told CNN that the ownership change has intensified concerns about content moderation and political influence.
“There’s not a lot of trust in the leadership of social media platforms in general,” Fiesler said. “Given the connection of the new ownership of TikTok to the Trump administration, which is so wrapped up in what is happening with ICE in Minnesota, it’s not surprising that there’s a significant lack of trust.“
White House and TikTok responses
The Washington Post quoted a White House spokesperson as saying the administration is not involved in TikTok’s content moderation and has not made requests related to how the platform handles political content.
TikTok’s U.S. joint venture account, TikTok USDS JV, posted a notice on X saying the company had experienced a major infrastructure issue after a power outage. The company said users may have seen bugs, slower load times, and time-out requests during the disruption.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
