CNN 5 Things One Thing: New TikTok: Different Owners, Fresh Censorship Concerns
Feb 1, 2026
Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Tech Editor and technology reporter, breaks down TikTok's recent U.S. ownership change and why people worry. She discusses who now controls the app. She explores algorithm power, reports of uploads stuck or suppressed on topics like ICE and Epstein, and whether this looks like technical trouble or political censorship.
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Fairness Promise Meets Skepticism
- The new U.S. ownership of TikTok claims it will treat every group and philosophy fairly.
- Concerns persist that ownership alignment could nonetheless influence algorithmic outcomes.
Privacy Policy And Feed Changes
- TikTok's privacy and terms showed recent changes alongside ownership shifts.
- Users report altered For You feeds, suggesting subtle user-experience shifts post-transition.
Algorithm Retraining With U.S. Data
- The joint venture will retrain TikTok's recommendation algorithm using U.S. user data.
- Key details like timeline and methods for retraining remain undisclosed.
