Topline
Tiktok said it is investigating why several users on the platform have been unable to send the word “Epstein” in direct messages—an issue California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is reviewing—after some users and public figures accused the social media platform’s new owners of censoring content.
TikTok said it does not have any “rules against sharing the name ‘Epstein’ in direct messages.”
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Key Facts
In a statement to NPR Tuesday, a TikTok spokesperson said the platform does not have any “rules against sharing the name ‘Epstein’ in direct messages,” and is investigating why some users are unable to do so.
Some users have said they are unable to send direct messages that contain the word “Epstein,” and are seeing an alert which labels the message as a violation of TikTok’s community guidelines.
TikTok issued a statement on Monday night saying it is dealing with a “major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage” at one of its U.S. data centers and suggested that this was causing “multiple bugs” for users.
The statement added that creators may “temporarily see ‘0’ views or likes on video,” an issue some users allege they are seeing with posts that are critical of the Trump administration and its immigration crackdown.
The platform said this data center outage is also causing “multiple bugs, slower load times, or timed-out requests” but noted that users “actual data and engagement are safe.”
The statement did not provide an exact timeline for when TikTok expects the issue to be resolved, only noting that they are working to bring the social media platform “back to full capacity as soon as we can.”
Forbes has reached out to TikTok for comment.
What Has Gavin Newsom Said About Tiktok?
Newsom responded to a screenshot from a user on X, which appeared to show them being unable to send a direct message containing only the word “Epstein.” “It’s time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content,” the California governor said as he reshared the post. Newsom’s press office then issued a longer statement: “Following TikTok’s sale to a Trump-aligned business group, our office has received reports — and independently confirmed instances — of suppressed content critical of President Trump.” The statement added that Newsom is launching a review of this and “calling on the California Department of Justice to determine whether it violates California law.”
News Peg
Over the weekend, artists and politicians, including musician Billie Eilish and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., accused TikTok of censoring videos that criticized the Trump administration and its immigration crackdown. Murphy and other Democratic leaders claimed the alleged changes to TikTok were a result of the company’s new U.S. owners’ close ties with Trump. Murphy shared a post from a TikTok user who alleged videos about the immigration crackdown in Minnesota were garnering significantly lower views than usual, with some being labeled as “ineligible for recommendation.” TikTok did not comment on Murphy’s post at the time, but when asked by Forbes, it cited an earlier statement about a power outage impacting its data center. The allegations of censorship helped boost downloads for a competing app called UpScrolled, which claims it does not shadowban or censor users.
Key Background
Last week, the U.S and China finalized a deal that transferred control of TikTok’s U.S. business to a group of investors including Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX. All three now hold a 15% stake each in the company, and Oracle is overseeing TikTok’s U.S. user data. The group, which goes by the name TikTok USDS Joint Venture, said it will “retrain, test, and update the content recommendation algorithm on U.S. user data.” Oracle’s billionaire founder Larry Ellison—the world’s fifth richest person—has become a close ally of President Donald Trump since his return to the White House last year.
Further Reading
Are New Owners Censoring TikTok? Top Democrats, Influencers, Celebrities Raising Concerns (Forbes)