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TikTok Under Scrutiny: Allegations of Censorship Following Ownership Shift
Table of Contents
- 1. TikTok Under Scrutiny: Allegations of Censorship Following Ownership Shift
- 2. Ownership Deal and Subsequent Concerns
- 3. Reports of Suppressed content
- 4. Technical Difficulties or Purposeful Action?
- 5. Political Reactions and Legal Scrutiny
- 6. TikTok’s Content Moderation History
- 7. What allegations is Governor Newsom investigating regarding TikTok’s alleged suppression of anti-trump content?
- 8. Governor Newsom Probes TikTok for Alleged Suppression of Anti-Trump Content
- 9. The allegations: A Pattern of Reduced Visibility?
- 10. American Vision Technologies and the Ownership Shift
- 11. Governor newsom’s Response and the Scope of the Investigation
- 12. TikTok’s Response and Public Statements
- 13. The broader Implications for Social Media and Free Speech
- 14. Case Study: The #TrumpCriticismChallenge
Sacramento, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched an examination into reports of content suppression on TikTok, just days after the social media platform secured a deal to avert a nationwide ban. The inquiry centers on claims that TikTok is actively limiting the reach of posts critical of President Donald Trump following a recent ownership restructuring.
Ownership Deal and Subsequent Concerns
tiktok finalized a $14-billion agreement on Thursday to transfer its U.S. operations to a newly formed joint venture, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. This venture includes investments from notable companies such as Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. The deal effectively places Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and a long-time supporter of President Trump, in a position of important influence over the app’s operations within the United States.
Almost instantly after the deal’s completion, numerous users reported significant issues with their content. These included videos receiving drastically reduced viewership,complete disappearances from the platform,and error messages preventing posts from being published.
Reports of Suppressed content
The governor’s office stated it has independently verified instances where content critical of President Trump was deliberately suppressed. Complaints focused on videos addressing concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in Minnesota and the recent death of Alex Pretti during an encounter with federal agents.Creators noted that these posts experienced significantly lower engagement rates compared to their typical performance.
Internet personality Preston Stewart, with a following of 1.3 million, reported that two of his videos vanished entirely, while another received zero views. He acknowledged the possibility of a broader technical issue but noted the reports of targeted suppression were widespread.
Technical Difficulties or Purposeful Action?
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC acknowledged experiencing a “cascading systems failure” due to a power outage at a U.S. data centre, citing issues like zero views, slow loading times, and request timeouts. However, this explanation has done little to quell the growing concerns about potential censorship. The company has yet to directly address the allegations of political bias.
Political Reactions and Legal Scrutiny
State Senator Scott Wiener characterized TikTok as “state controlled media” and expressed deep skepticism regarding the platform’s future integrity. he shared examples of his own content, specifically a post relating to potential legal action against ICE agents, receiving zero views despite his established audience. other users, including representatives from CNN, also reported similarly diminished visibility for their videos.
Governor Newsom has directed the California Department of Justice to investigate whether TikTok’s actions violate state laws concerning content censorship. The White House has stated it is indeed not involved in TikTok’s content moderation decisions, according to a spokesperson who spoke with The Washington Post.
