TikTok users have started reporting that they are having difficulties posting about Jeffrey Epstein and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) just days after the social media platform finalized its sale to United States investors. Free speech and censorship are once again in the spotlight, as the issues seem to surround Epstein and ICE raids.
Just days after TikTok finalized a sale to a consortium of American investors who now control the business in the U.S., users report being unable to use the word “Epstein” in direct messages.
The sale of TikTok was said to have averted a national ban of the app over national security concerns; however, now censorship concerns have surfaced.
TikTok responded, telling NPR: “We don’t have rules against sharing the name ‘Epstein’ in direct messages and are investigating why some users are experiencing issues.”
TikTok said none of its content moderation rules have changed.
Still, when some users tried to send direct messages containing the word “Epstein,” an automatic prompt appeared declaring that the message may be in violation of TikTok’s community guidelines. The messages were not sent, according to the prompt, “to protect our community.”
Tests by NPR, and other accounts on social media, show that it was happening inconsistently; Some users were able to send messages with “Epstein,” and some were not. The TikTok spokesman said that is consistent with the company’s own analysis so far, yet the exact cause is still under review. –NPR
Most users who report censoring seem to be pointing a finger at TikTok’s new ownership, which includes lead investor Oracle, run by billionaire Larry Ellison, a close friend of President Trump. Users are now circulating the hashtag #TikTokCensorship on X.
TikTok said in a statement that ‘glitches’ on the app were due to a power outage at a US data center, causing videos to take longer to be uploaded and recommended to other users, and are “unrelated to last week’s news” of the finalized sale. –ZeroHedge
We also got a hint earlier this month that a group of “very wealthy people” would soon be in control of TikTok. Trump may have egg on his face over this one. Sure, this is all circumstantial, but often, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and there seems to be a lot of smoke right now.
Trump Says TikTok Buyer Is “Group Of Very Wealthy People”
Nurse Jen Hamilton, who has over 4.5 million TikTok followers, says that after she posted a still picture of Alex Pretti, a protester who was shot by one or more federal immigration agents on Saturday, her next four videos couldn’t be uploaded. “Something has shifted in the way that content is getting put on the platform, or allowed to be on the platform,” she told CNN. “And I just find it very ironic that it’s the same day that it takes over that people are not being able to post their stuff.”
And it’s interesting that the issues are about the Epstein files and ICE, two key issues of concern with the Trump administration right now.