Newsom introduced he’s investigating experiences that TikTok is suppressing anti-Trump content material days after the platform averted a nationwide ban by finalizing a U.S. possession deal backed by Trump.
“Following TikTok’s sale to a Trump-aligned enterprise group, our workplace has acquired experiences — and independently confirmed situations — of suppressed content material crucial of President Trump,” the governor’s press workplace stated in a Monday night assertion on X.
The announcement comes after a flurry of on-line complaints that movies criticizing Trump, equivalent to these condemning ICE actions in Minnesota or talking out in opposition to the killing of Alex Pretti by federal brokers, are both getting zero views or far decrease view counts than regular.
The brand new U.S.-based firm TikTok USDS Joint Enterprise LLC has not publicly responded to the allegations of censorship. Nonetheless, the corporate stated in a Monday assertion that it was grappling with an influence outage at a U.S. knowledge heart that was inflicting a “cascading programs failure.”
Among the many points the platform suggested creators to look out for had been zero views or likes on movies, slower load occasions and timed-out requests. Hundreds of consumer points had been being reported all through the day Monday, in line with outage tracker Downdetector.
Newsom’s press workplace stated the governor was calling on the California Division of Justice to evaluate whether or not the applying violates state legislation by censoring content material that’s unfavorable to Trump. The Division of Justice didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
“It’s time to analyze,” Newsom wrote on X whereas reposting a screenshot exhibiting a TikTok consumer being prevented from sending a message saying “epstein.” The screenshot says, “This message could also be in violation of our Neighborhood Tips, and has not been despatched to guard our neighborhood.”
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. A spokesperson advised the Washington Put up that the White Home “isn’t concerned in, nor has it made requests associated to, TikTok’s content material moderation.”
Web character Preston Stewart, who makes informational movies about warfare and nationwide safety subjects, stated that two movies he posted Monday merely disappeared whereas one other video acquired zero views regardless of him having 1.3 million followers.
“I’ve seen of us recommend that is focused however from what I’m seeing it’s throughout platform affecting everybody,” Stewart wrote on X.
Nonetheless, frustration continued to unfold on-line amongst creators, celebrities and elected officers who did really feel just like the view suppression was deliberate.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) acknowledged that TikTok is “now state managed media” in a Monday morning assertion on X. He shared a screenshot exhibiting {that a} video he posted about his legislative proposal to permit folks to sue ICE brokers acquired zero views in comparison with hundreds of views on his common content material.
“TikTok is lifeless. Killed by the regime & the corrupt kleptocrats suckling at its teat,” he wrote in a Monday night X publish, reposting one other screenshot, this time exhibiting extraordinarily low view counts on CNN’s just lately shared movies.
TikTok finalized a deal Thursday to spin off its U.S. operations into a brand new majority-American three way partnership with traders together with Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. The $14-billion deal places Larry Ellison, a co-founder of Oracle and a longtime Trump supporter and donor, in a robust place over the app’s operations in America.
