The Department of Justice is investigating whether TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, was allegedly involved in the surveillance of reporters who cover technology, according to multiple news outlets.
The agency is also investigating ByteDance alleged surveillance of U.S. citizens more broadly, The New York Times reported. The investigation seems to be tied to ByteDance’s admission in December that some of its staff improperly accessed data of U.S. citizens.
An internal investigation conducted by ByteDance found that staff members did gain access to information belonging to two reporters and people tied to them.
This comes as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to grow over a number of issues, including security concerns over TikTok.
This week the Biden administration threatened to ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, did not sell its stake to an American company. This follows months of pressure from U.S. and state lawmakers, primarily Republicans, to ban the social media app, especially on government-issued devices.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, who is scheduled to testify before a House panel next week, said selling the app wouldn’t solve any security concerns that they haven’t already addressed.
More details regarding the DOJ probe can be found at TheHill.com.
