Sacramento, California - California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was launching a probe on Monday into allegations that TikTok censored content critical of President Donald Trump.

Newsom has accused the Trump administration of curbing basic freedoms in the US.

"It's time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content," the Democratic governor posted on X.

TikTok announced last week it had established a new joint venture to operate its US business, which would reduce its Chinese ownership to 19.9% and put majority control in the hands of American businesses – including Trump's allies.

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Washington has long sought to tighten control on TikTok, citing national security concerns over the platform's Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.

"Following TikTok's sale to a Trump-aligned business group, our office has received reports – and independently confirmed instances – of suppressed content critical of President Trump," Newsom's office wrote on X.

Newsom shared a screenshot appearing to show a TikTok user unable to send a message reading "epstein" because it violated the platform's community guidelines.

Trump's past friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has brought intense scrutiny on the president.

TikTok did not immediately reply to a request for comment.