California governor Gavin Newsom has accused TikTok of suppressing content critical of Donald Trump, and he’s launching a review to see if the platform broke state law. TikTok, however, says a system failure caused the problems.
This comes after TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, announced they’ve finalized a deal to create a US-owned joint venture. The goal is to protect US data and avoid a ban on the app, which is used by over 200 million Americans.
“After TikTok’s sale to a group that supports Trump, we’ve gotten reports – and confirmed – that content critical of the former president was hidden,” Newsom’s office said on X (formerly Twitter) Monday. They didn’t give many details.
“Gavin Newsom is starting a review of this and asking the California Department of Justice to check if it’s against California law,” the statement added.
TikTok hasn’t yet responded to a request for comment on Newsom’s accusations.
Newsom’s move follows concerns about potential political influence on the platform, especially as the 2024 election approaches. The review will focus on whether TikTok intentionally interfered with political speech.
ByteDance hopes the new US-owned joint venture will address national security concerns that led to the threat of a ban. The company insists it’s committed to protecting user data and maintaining the app’s independence.
