TikTok denies tracking US citizens through app

TikTok has denied reports alleging that the company was using its video streaming app to “monitor the personal location of some specific American citizens”.

In a series of tweets, the social platform said the US publication was accusing its parent company, ByteDance of obtaining “location data from US users’ devices", while also confirming that “TikTok does not collect precise GPS location information from US users”.

Published on Thursday, Forbes' article reported that ByteDance’s Internal Audit team had been tasked with surveilling at least two Americans who “had never had an employment relationship with the company.”

The article claimed that the report was based on materials it reviewed, but to save the sources from further risk, the author didn't include who could potentially be tracked or why they were tracked by the company.

Forbes also stated that ByteDance and TikTok failed to comment or answer questions regarding their internal audit team targeting US politicians, activists, public figures, or journalists.

However, in its Twitter thread, TikTok said that the app had "never been used to target" anyone in those groups mentioned, and their audit team “follows set policies and processes to acquire the information they need to conduct internal investigations.” The company went so far as to state that any employee caught engaging in what Forbes accused ByteDance of, would be removed from their position.

TikTok security has been of concern for many over the years, with many US lawmakers believing the app could be a way for the Chinese government to access data on US citizens.

After a report from Buzzfeed News in June provided evidence that data had been accessed in China using TikTok, the CEO Shou Zi Chew, wrote a letter to Republican critics telling them how the app would be separate from ByteDance in keeping American user data.