ByteDance finds employees obtained TikTok user data from two U.S. journalists

FILE PHOTO: Tik Tok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken November 27, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - ByteDance, the Chinese-parent company of popular video app TikTok, said Thursday some employees this summer improperly accessed TikTok user data of two U.S. journalists and were no longer employed by the company, an email seen by Reuters shows.

ByteDance employees accessed the data as part of an unsuccessful effort to attempt to investigate leaks of company information and were aiming to identify potential connections between two journalists and company employees, said the email. The disclosure, reported earlier by the New York Times, could add to pressure TikTok is facing in Washington from lawmakers and the Biden administration over security concerns about U.S. user data.