TikTok is facing accusations of suppressing content about federal immigration enforcement and a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, just days after the platform completed its transfer to majority American ownership. Users claim their videos about the January 24 killing of Alex Pretti received unusually low views or were marked "ineligible for recommendation" by the platform's algorithm. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during an immigration
COMMENT: On January 22, 2026, TikTok handed American control to a consortium of Larry Ellison's Oracle and an Abu Dhabi state fund called MGX. Ellison has given $26 million to Israel's military since 2014. MGX is chaired by the UAE's national security adviser, a country that criminalizes dissent, tortures prisoners, and surveils residents. The White House called it a national security win. For others it's a consolidation of power designed to silence. The First Amendment and Section 230 now shield these new gatekeepers from accountability.
A UK billboard campaign accusing Instagram of failing to protect users from scams was pulled just before launch, not by regulators but by media buyers wary of upsetting Meta, a major client. Created with scam victims and advocates, #IgnoredByInsta highlights the human cost of account hijacks and absent support. The incident exposes how commercial dependency in the advertising ecosystem can quietly suppress public criticism of powerful platforms.
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