TikTok’s death by a thousand shadow bans
When the ‘For You’ page turns against you
TikTok is good at algorithms but not math.
When ~25% of your user base creates ~98% of your content, and you start “disappearing” posts critical of hot-button political issues, congratulations: you’ve unlocked the recipe for self-inflicted churn.
On Sunday, TikTok stopped the clock on its credibility, at least for me.
I was one of countless users whose videos were hit with the dreaded "Visibility restricted" label for allegedly violating Community Guidelines.
My post? A call for justice after the murder of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by masked Border Patrol agents. No profanity. No threats. Just indignation, and a demand for accountability.
The TikTok that ran afoul of guidelines, and the one that didn’t. Go figure.
A day later, TikTok restored the video following my appeal. But it was already buried. Four likes. Four.
Meanwhile, a satirical clip I posted the day before poking fun at DHS’s bizarre winter storm messaging (ice = "freezing rain") hit 1,123 views.
I'm no influencer. Micro-influencer would be generous. But the trend is telling.
When your supposedly-neutral algorithm starts acting like a nervous PR intern for a political family dynasty, you’re announced “glitching” looks and feels a lot more like signaling.
And what timing. The censorship came just as TikTok’s U.S. operations were handed off to the Trump-aligned Ellison family. Yes, that Ellison family, flush with Oracle cash and fresh off acquiring Paramount Global, CBS's parent company.
A year ago, in that wake of that deal, CBS axed "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," a ratings leader. Staffers said it was to appease Trump, the same president who’d publicly attacked Colbert for doing what comedians do: satire.
In October, CBS appointed conservative commentator Bari Weiss to oversee editorial direction of the network. Her tenure so far? Spiking a "60 Minutes" exposé on DHS deporting migrants to CECOT, El Salvador’s notorious mega-prison. Since then, over a million viewers have exited a network increasingly mocked as "See BS News".
Now, the Ellisons are eyeing Warner Brothers Discovery. That’s CNN, HBO and DC Comics.
And, with the FCC defanged by Trump-era appointees, its chairman openly declaring it's no longer independent, the stage is set for a domino effect: partisan capture of media ecosystems masquerading as “restructuring” that’s “good for the consumer”.
Consumers and watchdogs are right to be concerned about CNN devolving to "Censored News Network," streaming programs like "Succession: The Trump Family Edition," and even Superman sporting a state insignia on his chest.
To be clear, as a former journalist and media salesperson—and an avid news consumer—I welcome diverse news and entertainment ecosystems, so long as they don't brazenly violate established federal broadcasting standards, aren't anti-competitive monopolies, and don't cave to political or oligarchical whims.
Concerning as it may be, this moment isn’t a fait accompli.
Corruption thrives when citizens go passive: When we stop following the money. When we accept press releases as journalism. When we let the loudest buyers dictate the quietest truths.
In democratic societies, a free press and a thriving entertainment amount to civic infrastructure. They, and courageous citizens with smartphone cameras and live-streams, document the cracks before the collapse.
If algorithms skew toward suppression, citizens highlight it. If ownership shifts warp editorial voice, citizens interrogate it.
We, citizens, have agency. We can and should…
Uninstall the apps that erase dissent
Cancel the subscriptions funding silence
Speak clearly where platforms hope we mumble
Pressure lawmakers and regulators to act
Back institutions that defend journalistic and artistic independence
And most of all: vote
The clock only stops ticking when we stop listening for it.
