Gavin Newsom Questions TikTok After Claims It Limits Content Critical Of Trump
California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially called for a formal investigation into whether TikTok is engaging in political censorship. On Monday, January 26, the Governor announced that he is ordering a review to determine if the social media platform, under its new American ownership, has been intentionally suppressing content critical of Donald Trump. Newsom shared on X that it is time to investigate whether the company is violating state laws by silencing dissent against the current administration.
A spokesperson for the Governor confirmed the review, noting that the office has received various reports and independently verified several instances of restricted content. These reports specifically highlight the suppression of videos following the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend.
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, Newsom’s office stated.
TikTok’s new U.S. ownership group, which recently finalized a deal to establish a majority American-owned joint venture, denied the allegations of political bias. They attributed the missing videos and restricted engagement to a technical issue caused by a power outage at a data center partner site. It would be inaccurate to report that this is anything but the technical issues we’ve publicly confirmed, a spokesperson for U.S. TikTok responded.
It’s time to investigate.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 27, 2026
I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content. https://t.co/AZ2mWW68xa
The controversy comes just days after the social media giant finalized a complex deal to satisfy a federal divestiture law. The joint venture includes major investors such as Oracle, Silver Lake, and the Dell Family Office, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake of 19.9%. While Republicans have historically accused tech giants of liberal bias, Newsom’s move suggests a shift in concerns toward the influence of the new pro-Trump investors.
As the legal battle over content moderation unfolds, California’s review will likely set a precedent for how states regulate the algorithms of privately owned social media platforms.
The Governor’s office has stated that the findings of the review will be made public once the initial data collection is complete. This investigation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between the Silicon Valley power structure and the shifting political landscape in Washington, D.C.
What do you think about this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.