TikTok users in the United States have accused the platform of censoring the word “Epstein” after its operations were transferred to a U.S.-majority entity that includes Oracle, led by Larry Ellison, a close ally of former President Donald Trump. The controversy erupted just days after the ownership change, with thousands of users reporting that private messages containing the word were blocked or deleted, showing errors such as “not permitted” or “violation of Community Guidelines.” Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state investigation in California into possible selective content moderation that could be politically motivated. TikTok has blamed a “major power outage” at a partner data center for the disruptions, but the company has not provided evidence of intentional censorship. The incident coincides with renewed public interest in the Epstein files and alleged ties to Trump. No evidence has been found to confirm a deliberate ban on the word, and independent tests suggest the issue is limited to U.S. users.

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