California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched an official review into whether the social media platform TikTok, owned by Beijing-headquartered ByteDance Ltd., violated state law by suppressing user posts critical of US President Donald Trump. The review aims to determine if content moderation practices on the platform unlawfully restricted political speech after recent changes in the app’s ownership structure.
Newsom’s office said on social media platform X that it had received reports and “independently confirmed instances” in which content critical of Trump appeared to be suppressed on TikTok following the company’s transition to a new majority U.S.-owned joint venture designed to secure user data and avoid a possible federal ban. The investigation is being conducted by the California Department of Justice to assess whether the platform’s handling of the material contravened state law.
The allegations emerged amid reports from some TikTok users that videos and posts addressing political issues, including criticism of Trump or related topics, experienced unusually low visibility or engagement. Users described uploads receiving few or no views or encountering errors when published. TikTok attributed these issues to a recent data centre power outage and subsequent systems failure, which it said caused technical problems such as slowed uploads, bugs, and timed-out requests. The company said the outage has been resolved.
TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, recently finalised a deal to form TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, in which American and global investors hold a majority stake, and ByteDance retains a minority share. The deal was structured to address longstanding U.S. national security and data privacy concerns. It was publicly supported by Trump, who credited the app with helping his 2024 election campaign.
Newsom’s review comes amid broader political tensions over social media regulation, content moderation, and free expression ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The governor, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican, are long-time political rivals, and the accusations have drawn attention to how platforms manage political content. The investigation could explore whether the platform’s moderation decisions or technical issues had a disproportionate impact on particular political viewpoints.
No enforcement action has been announced, and TikTok has denied that its systems intentionally suppressed content. The California Department of Justice review is ongoing and expected to examine data, moderation practices, and technical logs provided by the company and third-party witnesses.