California Governor Demands Investigation Into TikTok’s Censorship Practices
California's governor just fired a shot across TikTok's bow—demanding a full-scale investigation into the platform's alleged censorship mechanisms. This isn't just about viral dances anymore; it's about who controls the narrative for millions of users.
The Core Conflict: Silicon Valley vs. Sacramento
At the heart of this clash is a fundamental question of digital sovereignty. State officials are probing whether TikTok's content moderation algorithms are suppressing specific political viewpoints or cultural discussions. The move signals a growing willingness by state governments to regulate platforms that federal bodies have often treated with kid gloves—a classic case of regulatory arbitrage, or as some in finance might call it, 'finding a cheaper jurisdiction to pick a fight.'
Algorithmic Opacity Under The Microscope
Investigators will likely focus on the black-box nature of TikTok's recommendation engine. How do certain hashtags get shadow-banned? What triggers a content demotion? The platform's famed 'For You' page—a dopamine-dispensing machine of endless scroll—now faces scrutiny over what it chooses not to show. It's the digital equivalent of wondering why your brokerage's 'recommended investments' page always seems to favor their proprietary products.
A Precedent For Platform Accountability
This investigation could establish a new blueprint for state-level oversight of social media giants. If California—with its massive economy and tech-savvy population—successfully forces transparency, other states may follow. We might see a patchwork of digital speech regulations emerging, creating compliance headaches worthy of any multinational corporation navigating tax codes. Perfect for the lawyers and consultants, another cost of doing business passed along to users and advertisers.
The closing thought? When a governor takes aim at a social media algorithm, it's not just about free speech—it's about power, control, and who gets to write the rules for the digital public square. And somewhere, a venture capitalist is calculating whether 'regulation-compliance-as-a-service' is the next billion-dollar niche.
California governor calls for an investigation into TikTok’s censorship
🇺🇸 TikTok allegedly just banned the word "Epstein" in DMs days after finalizing its sale to GOP-backed investors.
Now Newsom wants to investigate them for censoring “Trump-critical content.”
Source: @CAgovernor, @intelligentpawg pic.twitter.com/Gake8gm8QB
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 27, 2026
However, the platform’s officials revealed on Monday that they are investigating why many users are unable to send the word “Epstein” in direct messages. Users have reported that posts are being taken down, shadowbanned, or that searching or using the term triggers restrictions.
A spokesman for TikTok’s U.S. operations acknowledged that the platform doesn’t have rules against sharing the name Epstein in direct messages. He also confirmed that the firm is investigating why some users are experiencing issues on the platform.
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, stated that his office received reports and independently confirmed instances of suppressed content critical of President Trump. He also called for an immediate investigation into the ban, arguing that he is launching a review into whether TikTok is breaching state law by censoring content tied to Trump.
“It’s time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content.”
–Gavin Newsom, Governor of California.
The governor believes that TikTok is censoring content tied to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has plagued the TRUMP administration for months. Newsom said he is launching a review of TikTok’s content censorship, and also called on the California Department of Justice to determine whether the censorship violates California law.
The video-sharing application acknowledged that none of its content moderation rules have changed. However, some users reported that an automatic prompt appeared after attempting to send direct messages containing the word Epstein.
The prompt alleged that the message may violate TikTok’s community guidelines. TikTok also stated in the prompt that the censorship is intended to protect its community.
TikTok blames data center outages for service disruptions
The social media platform revealed that it has grappled with far-reaching technical issues since its acquisition by Ellison. The app acknowledged that thousands of users have reported it not working properly over the past two days.
The platform received reports that some videos were receiving zero views, and the main video feed was not updating. Users also reported that some other basic functions in the app were lagging or not working at all.
TikTok argued that an outage at one of its data centers caused the interruptions on the platform and other affiliate apps. The firm stated on Monday that it has been working with its data center partners to bring service disruptions under control. DownDetector, which tracks outages based on crowdsourced reports, found that the disruptions made TikTok wobbly for many of its 200 million U.S. users.
TikTok USDS Joint Venture warned that users may notice multiple bugs, slower load times, or timed-out requests, including when posting new content. The app also said creators may temporarily see zero views or likes on their videos, and that their earnings may appear to be missing. The firm stated that the disruptions are a display error caused by server timeouts and that users’ actual data and engagement are still safe.
Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported on Tuesday that users are deleting the app at a higher rate since the firm’s acquisition. There has been a 150% surge in the daily average of U.S. users deleting the app in the past five days compared with the previous three months.
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