WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is investigating whether the Chinese owner of TikTok has been conducting improper surveillance on American citizens and journalists in particular, as the company deals with significant opposition in its efforts to continue operating the popular video-sharing app in the U.S.
The probe is being conducted by the department’s criminal division and the FBI, according to a person familiar with the development who asked to remain anonymous speaking about an ongoing matter.
Forbes earlier reported that U.S. prosecutors had sent ByteDance a subpoena regarding efforts by its employees to access journalists’ location information or other private user data using TikTok.
