After a revival driven by an executive order from President Donald Trump, U.S. TikTok users are reporting what they describe as heightened censorship on the platform. Once viewed as a haven for free expression, the app now faces scrutiny as users notice increased content moderation and restricted features.
TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, was briefly banned over national security concerns during the Biden administration under a bipartisan-backed law requiring the platform to be sold to a U.S. entity. Trump, who vowed to resolve the ban, has reopened the app with changes. However, the platform’s U.S. users have raised concerns over its evolving policies.
In-app messages acknowledged some instability during the platform’s restoration. “While we’re restoring our services in the U.S., some TikTok features may be temporarily unstable or unavailable,” the company stated on Tuesday. But many users argue the changes go beyond technical issues, claiming they reflect increased censorship.
Users report a reduction in livestreams and the removal or flagging of content for violations of community guidelines. Critics say previously acceptable content, such as posts containing phrases like “Free Palestine” or “Free Luigi” (a reference to a criminal case), is now being flagged or restricted.
Content creator and comedian Pat Loller, whose account has 1.3 million followers, said his satirical video critiquing billionaire Elon Musk was flagged as misinformation. Despite receiving over a million views, the video’s sharing options were restricted. “I’ve never seen this before,” Loller said, noting that sharing was limited to one chat at a time.
Meanwhile, Lisa Cline, another TikTok user, claimed she was unable to post a video criticizing Trump. She turned to Meta’s Threads platform, writing, “I tried to post this six times to TikTok, and it wouldn’t let me because of censorship.”
For others, the consequences have been more severe. Political commentator Danisha Carter, who had 2 million followers, said her account was permanently suspended shortly after TikTok’s brief shutdown. Citing “multiple policy violations,” Carter claimed the ban was politically motivated, pointing to her livestream criticizing tech billionaires’ influence over U.S. politics.
Other users, such as data analyst Ada Ortiz, reported receiving unexplained strikes for innocuous comments. Ortiz, whose content has included pro-Vice President Kamala Harris videos, said she deleted 15 posts after receiving warnings about further violations. “It felt targeted,” she said.
The platform’s changes come amid speculation over its future ownership. Trump has expressed openness to allies, including Elon Musk, purchasing TikTok as part of his broader initiative to regulate social media platforms and “restore freedom of speech.”
As legal and operational questions linger, users and creators remain uncertain about TikTok’s future and the implications for their content.
