When a democracy starts sliding toward authoritarianism, it doesn’t usually start dramatically. It starts quietly, behind the scenes. It’s all about control of information. Deciding who gets heard and who gets silenced.
And right now, something deeply troubling is happening. But at least one leader is willing to fight back.
Thom Hartmann breaks this all down: how the authoritarian grip is tightening, how Gavin Newsom is fighting back, and what you can do to help.
Newsom Draws the Line
California Governor Gavin Newsom just threw down the gauntlet. After the U.S. finalized a deal to move TikTok into American ownership, with a family deeply tied to Donald Trump now playing a major role, the platform appears to be systematically censoring anti-Trump content.
Newsom isn’t staying silent.
He announced on X, formerly known as Twitter: “It’s time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content.”
The move comes after users complained they were barred from posting even the word “Epstein” in private messages. Newsom himself responded publicly when a creator showed that TikTok would not allow them to send that word in a direct message.
Think about that for a moment. If a platform can block a name from being typed, what else can it quietly erase?
What Newsom Is Fighting Against
Creators across the country are reporting something chilling. Videos critical of ICE, DHS, Trump, or anyone in the current administration are being quietly throttled, blocked, and even erased.
Not being debated. Not being challenged. Just disappeared.
One Minnesota state representative posted a video debunking DHS lies about a shooting in Minneapolis. The elected official is verified on the platform. It received three views. Three.
Another creator showed how a video about ICE received over 200 comments but registered zero views. Political content creator Aaron Parnas demonstrated the same phenomenon. Even singer Billie Eilish called out the platform.
TikTok blamed the issues on a “power outage” at a data center. But that doesn’t explain why the censorship appears overwhelmingly targeted at anti-Trump, anti-ICE, and anti-administration content.
Could be bad timing. Could be by design. Nobody really knows. And that’s exactly the problem.
This is precisely why independent media outlets like Raw America matter more than ever. When corporate algorithms and oligarchs decide what millions see, independent voices become the last line of defense. Support independent journalism that refuses to be silenced. Subscribe now.
Why Newsom’s Investigation Matters
Newsom isn’t just responding to one blocked word or one deleted video. He’s calling out a system that may be shaping political reality itself.
Every social media platform has moderation rules. That’s normal and necessary. But what’s happening now is different. This is selective political censorship that lines up perfectly with the interests of those in power.
When criticism of immigration enforcement vanishes, that’s not community standards. When anti-ICE stories go black, that’s not policing for obscenity or threats. When government accountability content gets buried, that’s narrative control.
And Newsom recognizes the stakes.
In the 20th century, authoritarians controlled newspapers and radio. In the 21st century, they don’t need to. They just need friendly algorithms. They just need platforms that quietly decide which voices get amplified and which ones never reach anyone at all.
When corporate tech power merges with political power, the First Amendment becomes meaningless. And nobody even has to repeal it.
Tech billionaires and oligarchs are showing up at the White House bearing gifts. They’re making huge campaign contributions. They’re helping Trump and his family make billions. And now they control the platforms where Americans get their information.
That’s what Newsom is standing against.
The Larger Battle for Free Speech
Progressives have always depended on open platforms to challenge corporate power. Labor rights. Civil rights. Anti-war movements. Environmental justice. None of those won because the powerful allowed them airtime. They won because people could not be silenced.
If TikTok or any platform can quietly suppress criticism of state power today, they can suppress any movement tomorrow. Newsom understands this isn’t just about one app. It’s about whether democracy survives in the digital age.
This is how democracy erodes. Quietly. Digitally. Behind the scenes.
And Newsom is demanding transparency before it’s too late.
What Comes Next
Newsom’s investigation will examine whether TikTok is violating California state law. As the nation’s most populous state and home to the tech industry itself, California has unique leverage to demand answers.
But Newsom can’t do this alone. The fight for digital free speech requires pressure from all sides.
The question is whether enough Americans will pay attention before the window closes.
Here’s what can be done:
Share these stories before they disappear
Support independent media
Call on lawmakers to join Newsom’s fight
Demand real digital free speech protections, not corporate promises
Because if the right to criticize power isn’t defended, power will inevitably decide that no one has the right to speak at all.
Why Independent Media Cannot Fail
Newsom is doing his part. But investigations take time. And in the meantime, the algorithms keep working.
This moment illustrates exactly why Raw America exists. To cut through the noise. To tell the stories that powerful interests don’t want told. To hold power accountable when everyone else is looking away.
Mainstream media outlets answer to corporate boards and oligarchs. Social media platforms answer to billionaire owners and their political allies. But independent journalism answers only to the truth. And to readers who believe democracy is worth fighting for.
Supporting Raw America means supporting journalism that can’t be bought, can’t be silenced, and won’t look away.
Because when the algorithms fail us, when the platforms betray us, when the mainstream media ignores us, independent voices are all that remain.
Gavin Newsom is fighting for transparency. For accountability. For the right to criticize power without being disappeared.
Democracy doesn’t die in one dramatic moment. It dies when people stop paying attention.
The censorship happening on TikTok right now is a warning. Newsom is heeding it. The question is whether the rest of America will join him before it’s too late.
Governor Newsom has drawn the line. Now it’s time for the rest of us to stand with him.
