TikTok Cites Technical Problems After Users Claim ICE-Related Posts Were Suppressed

The social media platform says a power outage at a U.S. data center caused issues with video uploads and view counts.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 3:23pm

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TikTok has faced accusations from some users that the platform suppressed content related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. However, TikTok has attributed the issues to technical problems, including a power outage at one of its U.S. data centers that impacted video uploads and view counts. The platform has denied any deliberate censorship of ICE-related posts.

Why it matters

This incident is an early test for TikTok's new U.S. joint venture, which was created to address national security concerns about the platform's Chinese parent company ByteDance. Some users have expressed concerns that the new venture's association with figures close to former President Trump could lead to more conservative content moderation policies.

The details

TikTok said a power outage at one of its American data centers caused technical issues that prevented some users from uploading new videos and resulted in inaccurate view and like counts on existing posts. Several users, including a California state senator, accused TikTok of deliberately suppressing content related to ICE following the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. However, TikTok has denied any intentional censorship, stating the issues were solely due to the technical problems.

  • On Tuesday, TikTok users reported issues with uploading new videos and inaccurate view/like counts.
  • Last week, TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance spun off the platform's U.S. operations into a new joint venture with non-Chinese investors.

The players

TikTok

A popular social media platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance. TikTok's U.S. operations have recently been spun off into a new joint venture with non-Chinese investors.

ByteDance

The Chinese parent company of TikTok that has faced national security concerns about its ties to China.

Alex Pretti

An individual who was shot in Minneapolis, which prompted some TikTok users to post content related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Scott Wiener

A California state senator who is running for Congress and claimed his TikTok post about legislation related to ICE was suppressed.

Chris Murphy

A U.S. senator from Connecticut who re-shared a post accusing TikTok of "censoring" content critical of former President Trump and ICE.

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What they’re saying

“I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list.”

— Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator (X)

“my post about legislation that would allow lawsuits against ICE agents is sitting at zero views, and I'm not the only person this is happening to.”

— Scott Wiener, California State Senator (X)

What’s next

TikTok's new U.S. joint venture is planning to retrain the platform's content recommendation algorithm as part of the agreement to spin out the U.S. operations.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing scrutiny and concerns around TikTok's content moderation policies, especially as the platform undergoes a major restructuring of its U.S. operations to address national security issues. The technical problems claimed by TikTok will need to be transparently resolved to maintain user trust.