California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a formal review into TikTok's content moderation practices, accusing the social media platform of suppressing posts critical of former President Donald Trump. This move comes despite TikTok attributing the issues to a technical systems failure.
Newsom's Allegations and State Review
In a statement posted on X, Governor Newsom's office announced the review, citing reports and independently confirmed instances of suppressed content critical of President Trump. "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," the statement read. Newsom, a prominent Democrat, has called on the California Department of Justice to determine whether this conduct violates state law.
TikTok's Response and Technical Explanation
TikTok's US joint venture responded by pointing to a prior statement that blamed a data centre power outage for the problems. "It would be inaccurate to report that this is anything but the technical issues we've transparently confirmed," a representative said. The platform explained that users might experience bugs, slower load times, or timed-out requests due to the outage, which caused a cascading systems failure they are working to resolve.
Background of the TikTok Deal and Political Context
This controversy follows last week's milestone deal where TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, finalised an agreement to establish a majority US-owned joint venture. This move aims to secure US user data and avoid a potential ban on the app, which is used by over 200 million Americans. The deal, praised by Donald Trump, involves American and global investors holding 80.1% of the venture, with ByteDance retaining 19.9%.
User Reports and Expert Opinions
Newsom's accusation coincided with numerous TikTok users reporting abnormalities and alleging censorship of their posts. For instance, Steve Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University, noted that a video he recorded about immigration enforcement powers was placed "under review." Casey Fiesler, a technology ethics expert at the University of Colorado, told CNN that "it's not surprising that there's a significant lack of trust" in TikTok's new ownership, citing her own issues uploading videos related to immigration crackdowns.
Political Rivalry and Broader Implications
Newsom and Trump have a long history of public criticism towards each other, adding a political dimension to this dispute. The TikTok deal represents a significant development after years of US government concerns over national security and privacy risks under both the Trump and Biden administrations. With Trump crediting TikTok for helping him win the 2024 election and boasting over 16 million followers on the platform, the stakes are high for content moderation and free speech debates.
The review by California authorities highlights ongoing tensions between tech platforms, political figures, and regulatory oversight, with potential implications for digital rights and state-level enforcement in the US.
