After the US version of TikTok was transferred to new owners, users found that they couldn’t post videos criticizing ICE. TikTok blames the issues on a power outage at a US data center.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is “launching a review” of TikTok over potential censorship after users reported problems posting videos that were critical of the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE).
“It’s time to investigate,” Newsom tweeted on Monday, pointing to one TikTok user who found the app’s messaging function refused to post the name „Epstein“, a reference to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier charged with child sex trafficking who had ties to President Trump.
TikTok blames this week’s glitches on a power outage at a US data center, which resulted in some users being unable to sign in, view new videos, or post new content. Still, the incident has sparked censorship concerns given that it comes days after a majority stake in the social media app’s US business was transferred from China’s ByteDance to a US joint venture that includes Oracle, a company co-founded by Larry Ellison, a Trump supporter.
