• What can’t you say on TikTok? • This week on the Lock and Code podcast… A funny thing happened on TikTok last month, and it has brought allegations of censorship, manipulation, and control. • It was the week of January 22, and after a long legal battle, TikTok had finally-for the first time in its company history-moved its ownership to new, American stewards. • But with the American restructuring,TikTok users immediately reported thatsomethinghad changed: videos would sometimes fail to record any views, and even direct messages would fail to send. • But, according to user complaints, the flaws weren’t random. • Instead, they befell users who spoke openly about topics that have become political lightning rods in the US, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the actions of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Article Summaries:

  • TikTok’s first‑ever transfer of ownership to American stewards in January triggered a wave of technical glitches that many users linked to political content. Reports surfaced that videos about topics such as ICE and Jeffrey Epstein failed to record views or send messages, prompting accusations of censorship. TikTok attributed the problems to a power outage at a U.S. data center, claiming it affected all users. The incident has reignited debate over the platform’s control, raising questions about whether foreign or domestic actors now wield influence over user data and content delivery. The Lock and Code podcast discusses these events and their implications for online freedom.
  • This week on the Lock and Code podcast… A funny thing happened on TikTok last month, and it has brought allegations of censorship, manipulation, and control. It was the week of January 22, and after a long legal battle, TikTok had finally-for the first time in its company history-moved its ownership to new, American stewards. But with the American restructuring, TikTok users immediately reported that something had changed: videos would sometimes fail to record any views, and even direct messages would fail to send. But, according to user complaints, the flaws weren’t random. Instead, they befe

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