WASHINGTON: California Governor Gavin Newsom accused TikTok on Monday (Jan 26) of suppressing content material vital of President Donald Trump as he launched a evaluate of the platform’s content material moderation practices to find out in the event that they violated state legislation.
The step comes after TikTok’s Chinese language proprietor, ByteDance, said it had finalised a deal to arrange a majority US-owned three way partnership that can safe US knowledge, to keep away from a US ban on the quick video app utilized by greater than 200 million Individuals.
“Following TikTok’s sale to a Trump-aligned enterprise group, our workplace has acquired reviews, and independently confirmed cases, of suppressed content material vital of President Trump,” Newsom’s workplace mentioned on X, with out elaborating.
“Gavin Newsom is launching a evaluate of this conduct and is looking on the California Division of Justice to find out whether or not it violates California legislation,” it added.
The White Home and TikTok didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Newsom, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican, have lengthy been vital of one another.
Final week’s TikTok deal was a milestone for the agency after years of battles with the US authorities over Washington’s considerations about dangers to nationwide safety and privateness underneath Trump and former president Joe Biden.
ByteDance mentioned TikTok USDS Joint Enterprise LLC would safe US consumer knowledge, apps and algorithms by knowledge privateness and cybersecurity measures, in a deal praised by Trump.
With greater than 16 million followers on his private TikTok account, Trump credited the app with serving to him win the 2024 election.
The deal offers for American and world traders to carry 80.1 per cent of the enterprise whereas ByteDance will personal 19.9 per cent.
Every of the three way partnership’s three managing traders, cloud computing big Oracle, personal fairness group Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based funding agency MGX, will maintain a stake of 15 per cent.
The US and Chinese language governments had signed off on the deal, a White Home official mentioned.
