American TikTok users are reporting that the platform is blocking the word “Epstein” and hiding videos critical of US President Donald Trump following the takeover by new Trump-aligned owners.
Since Sunday, numerous US users say their posts, especially those criticizing Trump or highlighting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Minneapolis and the protests that followed have been stuck at zero views or failed to publish altogether.
Users also note that simply typing the name “Epstein” prompts warnings that the term violates TikTok’s “Community Guidelines,” effectively shutting down discussion of the convicted sex offender, who once maintained close ties with Trump.
These restrictions came just days after TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, was forced to sell a majority stake in his US business to investors with strong ties to Trump.
The new ownership structure makes TikTok majority American-owned, with Oracle, an American company, holding a 15 percent stake, alongside MGX, an investment firm based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Silver Lake, an American private equity group. ByteDance remains involved but now holds only a 19.9 percent minority share.
Larry Ellison, the billionaire Republican donor who leads Oracle and counts Trump as an ally, will be a central figure in the platform’s US operation. (more...)
TikTok blocks Epstein and anti-Trump videos under Trump-aligned ownership
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