"Officials at TikTok say they are looking into why many users have been unable to send the word 'Epstein' in direct messages, an issue that garnered widespread attention on social media Monday and prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to announce an inquiry into the matter. "We don't have rules against sharing the name 'Epstein' in direct messages and are investigating why some users are experiencing issues," a spokesman for TikTok's U.S. operation told NPR in a statement."
"Many online pointed a finger at TikTok's new ownership, rallying around the hashtag #TikTokCensorship on X. Those complaints encompassed videos about fatal shootings in Minneapolis and immigration raids that were not loading properly on the app. TikTok said none of its content moderation rules have changed. Still, when some users tried to send direct messages containing the word 'Epstein,' an automatic prompt appeared declaring that the message may be in violation of TikTok's community guidelines."
"The messages were not sent, according to the prompt, "to protect our community." Tests by NPR, and other accounts on social media, show that it was happening inconsistently; Some users were able to send messages with 'Epstein,' and some were not. The TikTok spokesman said that is consistent with the company's own analysis so far, yet the exact cause is still under review."
TikTok is investigating failures that prevented many users from sending the word 'Epstein' in direct messages. The issue drew widespread online attention and prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to announce an inquiry. The problem emerged days after TikTok's U.S. business was sold to a largely American investor consortium that includes Oracle and Larry Ellison. Users linked the timing to the ownership change and circulated the hashtag #TikTokCensorship; complaints also covered videos not loading, such as Minneapolis shootings and immigration raids. Automatic prompts sometimes blocked messages as potential guideline violations, while other users could send the same messages, showing inconsistent behavior, and the cause remains under review.
Read at www.npr.org
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