“Hacks” breakout Meg Stalter has deleted her TikTok account after claiming that the app’s new ownership is censoring videos criticizing ICE. However, the platform has pointed to a power outage at a U.S. data center that has delayed the posting of new content.
The comedian, who had over 278,000 followers on the app, posted on Instagram Sunday night that she would be deleting her account because TikTok “is under new ownership and we are being completely censored and monitored.” Stalter claimed that she is “unable to upload anything” about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which she signified with an ice cube emoji, “even after I tried to trick the page by making it look like a comedy video.”
Last week, TikTok owner Bytedance closed a deal to form TikTok U.S., a joint venture majority-owned by American investors which brings TikTok into compliance with the U.S.’s divest-or-ban law. This prohibits distribution in the U.S. of any app that is more than 20% owned by a “foreign adversary” (in this case, China), due to fears that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on Americans or spread propaganda. TikTok U.S.’s three managing investors include Silver Lake, Oracle and Abu Dhabi’s state-owned investment firm MGX, each holding 15%.
In a statement posted to its new X account on Monday, the TikTok USDS Joint Venture wrote: “Since yesterday we’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate. We’re working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We’re sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.” When the keyword “ICE” is searched on the platform, content that is critical of the agency does still appear.
An update later on Monday said that the network had been recovered, but the “outage caused a cascading systems failure” that could cause “multiple bugs, slower load times or timed-out requests” when posting new content. In addition, TikTok said this could cause creators to temporarily see zero views or likes on videos.
Outrage over the Trump administration’s deportation initiative using ICE reached fever pitch over the weekend when federal agents in Minneapolis shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, during protests in the city over the death of Renee Good, who was also shot and killed by ICE. Both were U.S. citizens. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that Pretti and Good were shot in self-defense.
Many celebrities have taken to social media to voice their anger, including Finneas, who claimed on Instagram that his video speaking about ICE had also been “shadowbanned” on TikTok and reposted Stalter. Stars like Olivia Wilde and Natalie Portman also wore “ICE out” pins over the weekend at Sundance Film Festival. Speaking to Variety on the red carpet for her latest directorial effort “The Invite,” Wilde said she was “appalled and sickened” by the situation.
“We can’t go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous,” she said. “People are being murdered. And, I don’t want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet. On film. It’s hideous. And so if we can do anything out here to support the movement to cast ICE out, to delegitimize this unbelievably criminal organization, then that’s what we should be doing.”