In December, ByteDance confirmed that four employees had used TikTok to spy on the location of two journalists. Now, Forbes that the FBI and the Department of Justice have been investigating the incident.
News of the investigation comes at a time when ByteDance is facing increasing pressure on TikTok. The company confirmed that US officials said TikTok will face a possible ban in the US if ByteDance does not part ways with the video app.
TikTok critics in Congress have previously raised questions about the app’s surveillance tactics, particularly in light of ByteDance’s acknowledgment that employees had inappropriately accessed US user data. The overall investigation by law enforcement into the incident is unclear, but according to Forbes, ByteDance has received subpoenas from the Department of Justice. The FBI has also conducted interviews related to the matter, though it is unclear if the two are part of the same investigation.
“We have strongly condemned the actions of the individuals found to have been involved and are no longer employed by ByteDance,” a ByteDance spokesperson said in a statement. “Our internal investigation is still ongoing and we will cooperate with any official investigation. when they brought it to us.