After TikTok users began making claims that their content about Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and the so-called Epstein filed was suppressed on the social media platform, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that California will investigate whether TikTok violated state law.
Over the weekend, TikTok users claimed that their posts and content regarding the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two people who were shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, received zero views, leading them to suspect the social media company was suppressing videos that are critical of the Trump administration.
The company insisted that it is not censoring any content while blaming a technical outage for failing to publish some posts.
“We’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage,” TikTok said on a X post on Monday. “We are sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.”
It’s time to investigate.
I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content. https://t.co/AZ2mWW68xa
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 27, 2026
Although TikTok said the outage was stabilized by Monday afternoon, Newsom shared a X user’s post, which appeared to show when she typed the word “Epstein,” it failed to go through. The image also indicated that the user’s “Epstein” message was not allowed because it “may be in violation of (its) Community Guidelines.”
NBC Los Angeles was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the X post.
In response, Newsom said it’s “time to investigate” the Culver City-headquartered company.
“I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content,” he said on X.
Newsom did not say which law that TikTok may have violated, but the state mandates large social media companies to be more transparent about how they moderate or censor content under AB 587, which was signed into law in 2022.
NBC Los Angeles reached out to Newsom’s office for clarification.
Suspicion around how content may or may not be restricted on TikTok has grown in recent days since its U.S. business was sold to a group of American investors, including Oracle headed by Larry Ellison, a Trump ally.
Some TikTok users began claiming that they are deleting the app on their phones in reaction to the company’s updated privacy policy. They said the revised agreement, which allows TikTok to collect more detailed information, including precise location data, expanded interaction with AI tools and broader use of personal data across advertising partners, did not sit well with them.
Sean SVV, a tech consumer advocate, said parts of the updated privacy policy raised concerns for him, especially for immigrant communities.
“They absolutely are valid to be concerned about, like what type of data they’re collecting, how they can use it, and which business partners they can share it with,” he said.
However, NBC News legal analyst Angela Cenedella said some of the fear may be misplaced.
“It appears there are collecting things like immigration status and racial and ethnic status,” she said. “They have likely always been doing this. This disclosure is something required to even have their algorithm.”
NBC Los Angeles reached out to TikTok about the allegations made by Gov. Newsom and other users.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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