Officials at TikTok say they are looking into why many users have been unable to send the word "Epstein" in direct messages, an issue that garnered widespread attention on social media Monday and prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to announce an inquiry into the matter.

"We don't have rules against sharing the name 'Epstein' in direct messages and are investigating why some users are experiencing issues," a spokesman for TikTok's U.S. operation told NPR in a statement.

The timing isn't lost on anyone.

It comes just days after TikTok finalized a sale that gave a consortium of mostly American investors control of TikTok's business in the U.S, a deal that averted a nationwide ban of the app over national security concerns tied to its Chinese parent company.

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