Summary
TikTok users reported that searches for anti-Trump content, such as “Donald Trump rigged election,” returned “No results found” messages in the U.S., while the same searches worked abroad.
Users demonstrated via VPNs that the restrictions seem specific to U.S. accounts, sparking accusations of censorship and claims TikTok is becoming “Trump’s propaganda arm.”
Some anti-Trump hashtags also appear blocked, while pro-Trump terms remain visible.
TikTok has not commented on the issue, fueling further concerns about free speech and potential political influence over the platform.
Imagine posting some proof, getting downvoted, then coming back to post the same ‘proof’ again without any additional information or explanation.
The point is, Trump made remarks recently directly pertaining, and to some, admitting, to rigging the election. This is news.
A “Fuck Trump” B “Trump Racist” and C “Trump election lies” are either (A and B) search terms that are clearly made by users who already have their mind made up, or © just really old and ongoing news that is not going to generate a surge of traffic.
It’s a clever strategy, and it empirically works because you bought it. If TikTok was caught blocking all anti Trump content? That would be over. Everyone leaves. It’s too obvious. But if TikTok only blocks some anti Trump content, when it’s relevant, then “oops we fixed it” a week later when the media cycle has moved on? That can have a real effect on traffic to that content. Those creators don’t get views—don’t get paid. Abusing plausible deniability to create material consequences.
What once set TikTok apart, literally a week ago, was that this didn’t happen. Not subjected to the political pressure from Israel and Zionist media, TikTok allowed a relatively uncensored expression of the violence and material conditions in Gaza and fostered the significant growth of the online pro-Palestinian movement.
Something as cool as this will certainly never happen on TikTok again.
But that’s the claim the article is making. If the article was asking why one search phrase was stopped then sure. But I made those other searches because the article specifically claims Fuck Trump is unsearchable and broadly claims you can’t search anti Trump stuff. This is directly disproven.
And Trump’s remarks are no different than any other 80 year old talking about how their grand kid is good with the computers because they deleted the 15 browser bars dragging the system down.
I don’t care if you downvote me, I’m not going to stop speaking truth.
Is your grandpa also the most powerful man on the planet?