ByteDance acknowledged in December that it had terminated four employees for using TikTok to track down the whereabouts of two journalists. According to Forbes, the FBI and the Department of Justice are currently looking into the event.
The announcement of the probe comes as ByteDance is under increasing pressure to sell its interest in TikTok. The business revealed that TikTok may be banned in the US if ByteDance doesn’t distance itself from the video app, according to US regulators.
Critics of TikTok in Congress have already questioned the app’s monitoring strategies, especially in light of ByteDance’s admission that staff members had improperly accessed US users’ data.Unknown is the exact scope of the investigation by law authorities into the incident, but according to Forbes, the DoJ has served subpoenas on ByteDance. Although it’s unclear if the two interviews are related to the same probe, the FBI has also conducted interviews on the subject.
A ByteDance spokeswoman issued a statement saying, “We have strongly condemned the actions of the individuals found to have been involved, and they are no longer employed at ByteDance.” “Our internal investigation is still ongoing, and when contacted by the authorities, we will cooperate with their inquiries.”
