Ex-Bytedance Employee Alleges CCP Had ‘Supreme Access’ to TikTok’s Data: Report

A former employee who filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Bytedance, the parent company of TikTok, alleges that China’s Communist Party had “supreme access” to all data held by the company, including servers in the United States.

The lawsuit comes at a time when concerns over Beijing’s control over TikTok and its content are under intense scrutiny in the US and other Western nations, CNN reported.

Yintao “Roger” Yu, who worked as the head of engineering for US operations from August 2017 to November 2018, claims that a special office within Bytedance, known as the “Committee,” monitored the company and influenced it to advance core Communist values.

Yu’s lawsuit further alleges that user data was made accessible to the Chinese Communist Party through a backdoor channel, regardless of its location.

Additionally, Yu claims to have witnessed Bytedance being responsive to the CCP’s requests to share, elevate, or remove content, effectively functioning as a propaganda tool for Beijing’s leaders.

Bytedance denies these allegations, stating that Yu worked on an app called Flipagram, which was discontinued due to business reasons, according to CNN report. They express their intention to vigorously oppose the baseless claims made in the complaint.

Yu’s lawsuit also highlights Bytedance’s alleged “worldwide scheme” of stealing and profiting from others’ content, which he discovered shortly after starting his job. In response, a ByteDance spokesperson asserts the company’s commitment to respecting intellectual property and acquiring data in accordance with industry practices and policies.

These reports surface as TikTok faces potential bans in the US due to national security concerns. The Biden administration has threatened a nationwide ban unless TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes in the company, reflecting the escalating tensions between the two countries.

The issue revolves around ownership of TikTok’s algorithms and the vast amount of data collected from its 150 million monthly users in the United States. US officials fear that the Chinese government could exploit the links between TikTok and its parent company to access user data for intelligence or propaganda purposes.

However, security experts note that there is currently no public evidence of the Chinese government spying on individuals through TikTok, as the platform does not operate in China.

TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, testified before US Congress, stating that there is no evidence of Chinese government access to US user data, as they have never requested or received it.

China has firmly opposed the forced sale of TikTok demanded by the Biden administration, emphasizing the importance of advanced technology, including content recommendation algorithms, to its national interest.

Chinese officials have proposed stricter rules governing the sale of such technology to foreign buyers.

Any sale or divestiture of TikTok would require a license and approval from the Chinese government due to the technology export involved, as confirmed by a commerce ministry spokeswoman in March.