Newsom Orders Review of TikTok Over Alleged Suppression of Anti-Trump, ICE Posts
State prosecutors will examine whether reported limits on political content break California law.
Overview
- The governor’s office says it independently confirmed cases of suppressed posts following the platform’s new U.S.-controlled joint venture finalized last week.
- TikTok, now operating as the TikTok USDS JV, says a power outage at a data center caused cascading technical failures rather than intentional censorship.
- Multiple creators reported sharp, topic-specific drops in reach, with Krassenstein citing 0–1,000 views on political videos that typically garner tens of thousands to millions.
- Reports describe blocked or downranked posts about alleged ICE brutality in Minneapolis and references to Epstein files mentioning meetings with Trump, with journalist David Leavitt and artist Billie Eilish sharing examples flagged as not recommended.
- The deal shifts 80.1% control to U.S. and global investors with ByteDance retaining 19.9%, including 15% stakes for Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, and the arrangement drew public support from President Trump.