California Investigates TikTok Over 'Anti-Trump' Censorship Claims
📰 THE STORY: The BBC reports that California is probing TikTok US after claims by 'thousands of people' that the platform is suppressing anti-Trump political content. This follows the spin-off of TikTok's US operations into 'TikTok US' (now 'Project Texas') and comes amidst ongoing pressure to ban the app entirely over national security concerns related to its Chinese ownership. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE
NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Remember the outrage over election misinformation and foreign influence on social media post-2016? Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Google faced immense scrutiny and Congressional hearings for their perceived failure to curb Russian interference. Yet, when similar platforms operated by Western entities are accused of bias, the narrative shifts from 'national
security threat' to 'free speech concern' only when it suits a particular political agenda. For example, during the 2011 'Arab Spring' protests, social media was hailed as a tool for liberation, but swift actions were taken against platforms like Telegram when they facilitated protests against Western-aligned regimes or provided uncensored news. Double Standard: When content critical of US foreign
policy, especially regarding Israel-Palestine, goes viral, the conversation immediately shifts to 'rampant antisemitism' or 'disinformation.' Senator Tom Cotton, for instance, called TikTok a 'national security threat' in 2020 and pushed for a ban citing concerns over Chinese data access. Yet, when former President Trump signed Executive Order 13873 in 2019, essentially weaponizing social media