The newly established Trump-approved US branch of TikTok has hit a few snags right out of the gate, raising eyebrows over technical glitches and accusations of censorship. Led by a group of American investors with ties to the Trump administration, the platform has faced significant disruptions, and some users are claiming that their content critical of the former president is being suppressed.
Technical Issues Plague TikTok’s New US Operations
Since the launch of the US TikTok venture, the platform has been suffering from persistent technical problems, causing users to struggle with uploading content. TikTok initially attributed the issues to a power outage at an Oracle data center, which plays a key role in the US entity’s infrastructure.
On January 28, 2026, TikTok assured its users that progress was being made in restoring the platform to full functionality. Despite these efforts, users continued to report problems with posting new videos, including delays in content going live and videos being stuck in the “review” process.
An Oracle spokesperson confirmed that the outage was caused by a weather-related incident at one of its data centers. “The challenges U.S. TikTok users may be experiencing are a result of the power outage, which both Oracle and TikTok are actively working to resolve,” the spokesperson explained.
Growing Suspicion of Political Manipulation
While the technical issues were being addressed, some Democratic politicians raised concerns that the glitches might not be entirely coincidental. California Governor Gavin Newsom pointed to reports from users claiming that their videos critical of Trump and his policies, particularly regarding immigration enforcement, were either delayed or receiving much lower view counts. Newsom announced a formal review into whether the platform was violating California state law by censoring Trump-critical content.
“We’ve received reports — and confirmed instances — of suppressed content critical of President Trump,” Newsom’s office stated. “We will be investigating whether this constitutes a violation of California law,” adding that state Attorney General Rob Bonta would lead the review.
The Trump-Linked Ownership Structure Raises Concerns
The controversy surrounding the new US TikTok ownership stems from a deal brokered by President Donald Trump, which saw a consortium of US investors, including Oracle and other companies with strong Republican ties, take control of TikTok’s US operations. The structure of this deal has fueled concerns that the app could be manipulated for political purposes, especially to assist Trump and his allies in future elections.
A significant portion of the new entity, approximately 80%, is now controlled by US investors, with Beijing-based ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, retaining a minority stake. Critics of the deal are worried that these changes might result in a Trump-influenced version of TikTok, where content unfavorable to the former president or Republican interests could be suppressed or censored.
This criticism echoes earlier conservative complaints about “deplatforming” and “shadowbanning” during the Biden administration, where many conservatives claimed they were unfairly censored on social media. These complaints have since evolved into a political talking point for Republicans, and many worry the same issues could emerge with the new US-run TikTok.
Allegations of Censorship and Shadowbanning
The most prominent allegations of censorship have come from users who reported difficulties posting videos related to controversial topics. For instance, videos about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis—which sparked widespread outrage—were either blocked or had drastically reduced views. Celebrities such as Billie Eilish and average TikTok users shared their frustrations on other platforms, voicing suspicions that political content critical of Trump was being targeted.
One of the more bizarre complaints involved TikTok allegedly blocking the word “Epstein” in direct messages, leading some users to speculate whether this was intentional censorship related to Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous case. A representative from TikTok responded to the issue, stating that the app had no rules against sharing the name and was investigating why users experienced issues when trying to send it in messages.
The Intersection of Technology and Politics
The controversies surrounding the newly Trump-backed TikTok highlight the increasing intersection between technology and politics in today’s digital age. While tech companies have long had to contend with accusations of political bias, the specific role of TikTok in a politically charged environment is more complex than ever. The allegations of content suppression on TikTok, especially regarding content critical of Trump, are raising important questions about the role of tech companies in moderating content and how their business interests may align with political ideologies.
As this situation continues to unfold, TikTok faces intense scrutiny from both users and politicians. While some claim that the platform’s issues are merely technical glitches, others see these events as part of a broader pattern of political influence in digital spaces. The US government and lawmakers will likely continue to debate the role of tech giants in influencing the flow of information, especially as platforms like TikTok become ever more embedded in the political landscape.
