TikTok is allegedly blocking the word “Epstein” in direct messages for users in the United States—and only the United States.
The timing? Just days after the app’s US operations were handed over to a group of Trump-backed investors.
Users in the UK and other parts of the world can still type the name of the deceased convicted sex offender freely in their private messages.
But Americans? Filtered.
And it gets worse. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday he’s launching a formal review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring content critical of Trump.
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
His office says it “received reports—and independently confirmed instances—of suppressed content critical of President Trump,” according to POLITICO.
The independent confirmation? Newsom’s office sent a direct message on TikTok containing the word “Epstein”—as in Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier accused of sex trafficking with connections to powerful figures across politics and business.
TikTok returned a warning that the message was not sent because it “may violate community guidelines.”
WHAT’S GOING ON: The censorship reports emerged shortly after TikTok announced a new ownership structure. A joint venture called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC now controls US operations, with ByteDance retaining a 19.9 percent stake.
The $14 billion deal puts Trump ally Larry Ellison’s Oracle at the forefront with a 15 percent ownership stake. Oracle will also oversee TikTok’s recommendation algorithm in its US cloud environment.
But the censorship concerns extend far beyond Epstein. Users across the platform report that videos about federal agents’ fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis are being throttled, stuck in review, or showing zero views. State Sen. Scott Wiener, who has nearly 50,000 TikTok followers, posted a video Monday morning about his legislation allowing people to sue ICE agents. It sat at zero views. He called TikTok “state-controlled media.”
“Clearly, TikTok is suppressing criticisms of ICE,” Wiener told POLITICO. “This is a kleptocracy.”
BUT BUT BUT: TikTok claims it’s all just a “major infrastructure issue” caused by a power outage at one of its US data centers. The outage, they say, triggered a “cascading systems failure” resulting in slower load times and engagement issues. Convenient timing for a data center to crash just as users tried to post about federal agents killing an American nurse, no?
When asked about Wiener’s video showing zero views, a TikTok spokesperson pointed back to… the data center excuse.
OF COURSE: Trump is taking credit for “saving” the platform. “It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World,” he wrote on Truth Social, adding that TikTok “was responsible for my doing so well with the Youth Vote in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
Senator Bernie Sanders connected the dots: “Thanks to Trump, right-wing multibillionaire Larry Ellison will now control the TikTok algorithm.” Sanders noted Ellison’s family also controls CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount+ through their Paramount Skydance deal. “This is what an oligarchy looks like.”
Thanks to Trump, right-wing multibillionaire Larry Ellison will now control the TikTok algorithm, along with:
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 26, 2026
CBS
MTV
The Free Press
BET
CMT
Simon & Schuster
Nickelodeon
Paramount+
Pluto TV
and more
This is what Oligarchy looks like.
THE EXODUS: Users aren’t waiting around to see what else gets censored. Daily TikTok uninstalls are up nearly 150 percent in the last five days compared to the previous three months, according to market firm SensorTower. “Hacks” star Megan Stalter deleted her account entirely after her video arguing “Jesus would abolish ICE” repeatedly failed to upload. The video got 12,000 reposts on Instagram. On TikTok? Nothing.
“If I can delete my biggest platform because their terms of agreement and censorship have gotten out of control, so can you!” creator Dre Ronayne posted on Threads after abandoning her 400,000-follower TikTok account.
WHY IT MATTERS: Here’s the thing about TikTok being a “private platform” with First Amendment rights to moderate content however it wants: that argument falls apart when the platform’s new ownership has direct ties to the president whose immigration agents just killed an American citizen. As University of Colorado professor Casey Fiesler told CNN: “Given the connection of the new ownership of TikTok to the Trump administration, which is so wrapped up in what is happening with ICE in Minnesota, it’s not surprising that there’s a significant lack of trust.”
BOTTOM LINE: Whether it’s blocking discussion of Jeffrey Epstein in private messages or throttling videos about federal agents executing a nurse in broad daylight, the pattern is clear: Trump’s billionaire allies now control what 150 million Americans see on one of the country’s most popular platforms. The data center excuse might explain some glitches. It doesn’t explain why “Epstein” triggers content warnings only in the United States.