California's Top Cop to Probe TikTok Over Alleged Censorship of Anti-Trump Posts
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that his office is investigating allegations that social media app TikTok is censoring posts critical of former US President Donald Trump. The investigation comes days after ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, finalized a deal to spin off its US business into a new entity.
Newsom's office made the announcement after trying to send a direct message with the word "Epstein" in it - a reference to Jeffrey Epstein, who was a friend and ally of Trump. The message was flagged by TikTok as potentially violating community guidelines, prompting Newsom to launch an investigation into whether the platform is violating California state law.
According to reports, ByteDance's new US entity will now be responsible for content moderation and algorithm updates on US data. However, critics have raised concerns about the company's supposed censorship of anti-Trump posts, with some users complaining that technical issues with the app's recommendation algorithm were more than just coincidence.
Newsom's office has confirmed that it was able to independently verify instances where TikTok suppressed critical content related to Trump. The governor has called on the California Department of Justice to determine whether these actions violate state law.
As ByteDance's new entity takes control of TikTok's US operations, questions remain about the platform's commitment to free speech and its relationship with government officials. With the investigation underway, it remains to be seen how much scrutiny Newsom's office will bring to bear on TikTok's practices in California.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that his office is investigating allegations that social media app TikTok is censoring posts critical of former US President Donald Trump. The investigation comes days after ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, finalized a deal to spin off its US business into a new entity.
Newsom's office made the announcement after trying to send a direct message with the word "Epstein" in it - a reference to Jeffrey Epstein, who was a friend and ally of Trump. The message was flagged by TikTok as potentially violating community guidelines, prompting Newsom to launch an investigation into whether the platform is violating California state law.
According to reports, ByteDance's new US entity will now be responsible for content moderation and algorithm updates on US data. However, critics have raised concerns about the company's supposed censorship of anti-Trump posts, with some users complaining that technical issues with the app's recommendation algorithm were more than just coincidence.
Newsom's office has confirmed that it was able to independently verify instances where TikTok suppressed critical content related to Trump. The governor has called on the California Department of Justice to determine whether these actions violate state law.
As ByteDance's new entity takes control of TikTok's US operations, questions remain about the platform's commitment to free speech and its relationship with government officials. With the investigation underway, it remains to be seen how much scrutiny Newsom's office will bring to bear on TikTok's practices in California.
I don't get why TikTok is censoring Trump-related posts just because some people are angry at him. Like, can't they just let everyone express their opinions without deleting them? 
And now the governor of Cali is all over it, investigating if TikTok is breaking any laws... isn't that a bit much? 
I mean, I'm all for free speech and stuff, but I also don't want to see some crazy conspiracy theories getting spread around. Can't we just have a chill platform where people can share their thoughts without getting flagged for hate speech or whatever? 
Can't we just focus on the good stuff, like making funny videos and dancing to our favorite tunes? 
TikTok needs transparency - what's behind those algorithm changes? 
Can't wait to see how this all plays out! 
. IT SMELLS LIKE A FISHY DEAL TO ME - TIKTOK GETS TO KEEP ALL THE POWER AND CONTROL WITH ITS NEW US ENTITY 
. I HOPE THIS INVESTIGATION EXPOSES THE TRUTH AND HELPS SET A PRECEDENT FOR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS 