Newsom’s TikTok Inquisition: Chasing Shadows, Protecting Narratives
📰 THE STORY: Governor Newsom initiated a review of TikTok following allegations that the platform suppressed content critical of Donald Trump during his presidency, sparking renewed scrutiny over its content moderation policies and its Chinese ownership by ByteDance. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US government has a long, documented history of interfering with media
narratives, both domestically and internationally. From the CIA's 'Operation Mockingbird' in the 1950s, which involved covertly influencing US and foreign media, to ongoing pressure on major tech platforms in the 2010s to moderate 'misinformation'—often defined by official state channels—this is not a new concern for Washington. The concern is never about censorship itself, but whose message gets
censored. Double Standard: The intense focus on TikTok’s potential 'censorship' stands in stark contrast to the deafening silence on the documented censorship by US-owned social media giants like Facebook and Twitter (now X) of content critical of US foreign policy, particularly regarding Palestine or other conflicts where US interests are involved. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have
repeatedly documented patterns of Facebook and Instagram suppressing Palestinian voices and narratives, especially since 2021, yet there's no major gubernatorial 'review' into Zuckerberg's domain. The issue isn't 'censorship,' but foreign ownership of a platform that might not adhere to US narrative control. Follow the Money: While not directly about immediate cash, the impetus for such probes