TikTok users report upload failures for ICE-related content following the platform’s US ownership transfer, though TikTok attributes technical issues to a data center outage rather than censorship.
Comedian Megan Stalter and other TikTok users reported inability to upload videos about ICE raids in Minneapolis over the weekend, sparking censorship concerns. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy called the alleged censorship a top “threat to democracy.” TikTok attributed the problems to a power outage at a US data center, saying issues were “unrelated to last week’s news” about its ownership change.
The technical problems emerged after a majority American-owned joint venture took control of TikTok’s US operations last week under a 2024 law. Oracle, whose executive chair Larry Ellison is close to President Trump, will store US user data and the new venture controls content moderation policies. “We have to abolish ICE,” Stalter said in her video. “I truly, truly believe that is exactly what Jesus would do.”
Experts say proving censorship would be difficult due to TikTok’s opaque algorithms, though distrust is understandable given new ownership ties to the Trump administration. University of Colorado professor Casey Fiesler noted, “Even if this isn’t purposeful censorship, does it matter? In terms of perception and trust, maybe.” Daily TikTok uninstalls increased nearly 150% compared to previous months, according to SensorTower.