CA Launches Probe Into Allegations That TikTok Is Censoring Posts Critical Of Trump And ICE

Following accusations that TikTok's new Trump-aligned owners are suppressing posts critical of the president, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he is launching an investigation into the platform.

"It’s time to investigate," Newsom announced in a post to X on Monday. "I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content."

In that post, Newsom was responding to a user that claimed TikTok now considers the name "Epstein" a violation of its community guidelines.

The investigation comes after widespread accusations that TikTok has been flagging or suppressing criticism of former President Trump and posts about Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Minneapolis — allegations that emerged days after the platform was sold to a new U.S.-based ownership group in an effort to avoid a nationwide ban.

Newsom has called on the California Department of Justice to review whether the app has violated state law by censoring content.

A U.S. TikTok spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the platform does not prohibit use of the name “Epstein” and is working to resolve the issue, which affected some users, attributing it to “ongoing technical issues.”

Ownership in the U.S. has officially been transferred from Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to the newly established TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Its shareholders include Oracle, which is headed by Trump ally Larry Ellison.

Some posters on X said their posts were receiving zero views or likes on videos. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said his video regarding legislation that would allow people to sue ICE agents was sitting at zero views.

"TikTok is now state-controlled media," he wrote on X. "I'm not the only person this is happening to."

Amid accusations of censorship, TikTok USDS posted on X that the platform was working to resolve "a major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage."

TikTok is now state-controlled media.

This morning I posted a TikTok about my legislation allowing people to sue ICE agents. It's sitting at zero views, and I'm not the only person this is happening to. pic.twitter.com/Zahy4aRh03
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) January 26, 2026

The platform addressed those who have reported that their videos were being censored and said it was a display error caused by server timeouts; your actual data and engagement are safe.

According to POLITICO, Wiener deleted his original post and re-uploaded the video early Monday with mentions of ICE instead replaced with ice block emojis to test the issue. As of Monday evening, the post had received 300 views.

California Department of Justice spokesperson Elissa Perez told POLITICO that state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office is “unable to comment on, even to confirm or deny, any potential or ongoing investigations,” but called free speech rights “a cornerstone of our democracy.”