Megan Stalter among big names claiming TikTok is censoring anti-ICE videos
Megan Stalter has deleted TikTok over claims it censored her anti-ICE video. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Megan Stalter has deleted TikTok over claims it censored her anti-ICE video. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Comedian Megan Stalter has joined other celebrities in claiming TikTok is censoring anti-ICE videos.
The actress, who is best known for her role as Kayla in the HBO Max comedy series Hacks, spoke out about abolishing ICE and deleting TikTok after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Both were were killed during separate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On Monday (26 January), Stalter announced she is leaving the platform, citing that she believed it had censored anti-ICE videos she made.
She captioned the post: “I’ve tried for hours to upload the same video and it wouldn’t show it to one person. ABOLISH ICE! Delete TikTok!”
Stalter added in text over a photo of herself that she is downloading her videos and “deleting” her TikTok page because the app “is under new ownership and we are being completely censored and monitored”.
She also highlighted TikTok’s privacy policy, claiming that following its acquisition by an investor group headed by Trump ally and Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, the app could collect sensitive information about its users, including if they’re trans or non-binary, as well as their citizenship or immigration status.
TechCrunch, however, noted that this language has been included in TikTok’s privacy policy since August 2024 and complies with “state privacy laws like California’s Consumer Privacy Act”.
Stalter isn’t alone in calling out TikTok, with Billie Eilish having claimed that her brother, Finneas, had his video calling out ICE censored. Eilish took to her Instagram Stories to share a screenshot of her brother’s anti-ICE TikTok video showing only 114 likes.
However, the video has seen received more views and over 473,000 likes.
Around the same time as Stalter and Finneas’ complaints, the official X account for TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC noted that some users may be experiencing issues with TikTok.
They noted there had been a power outage at one of the data centres in the US which could cause “multiple bugs, slower load times, or timed-out requests, including when posting new content”.
It added that some users “may temporarily see ‘0’ views or likes on videos” too.
Other celebrities who have spoken out about ICE include Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Bella Hadid, SZA and Sabrina Carpenter, to name a few.
PinkNews has contacted TikTok for comment.
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